Charity, Waqfs and Food in the Sixteenth Century of İstanbul

Abstract

Sixteenth century Istanbul contained numerous imarets that fed significant population. Apart from the imarets, food was distributed through institutions such as dervish lodges, masjids, mektebs, madrasas and tombs. Of these, dervish lodges and mektebs in particular supplied food to the urban poor as well as to their own staff. Masjids had a role in meeting need for sustenance among the people living in their vicinity, while madrasas unlike other institutions, served food mostly to their staff. Among the aforementioned institutions, dervish lodges were the ones to which philanthropists allocated the most food. Dervish lodges were thus were the most important institution in food distribution after the imarets. The support of people called “mürîdîn and muhibbin” was particularly important in the distribution of food by the dervish lodges. Holy days and nights special significance as occasions for serving food in these lodges. Based on data in Tahrir Registers of Istanbul Waqfs dated 1546, this study discusses food waqfs, other than imarets. As this data shows, the philanthropists who donated food to the needy included people of modest means as well as those possessing enormous wealth..