LIVING CONDITIONS IN HOUSES OF ISTANBUL DURING THE 17TH CENTURY: A READING OF KADI REGISTRIES

Written Ottoman sources containing important information about cities and housing afford a broad base of data for Ottoman urban and architectural history. Among such sources, Kadı Registries hold exceptional significance for understanding the living conditions in houses of Istanbul (Suriçi) during the 17th century. Such registries contain detailed information about Ottoman houses at the time, including about the sale of property and transactions involved therein, rehin (‘mortgages’), housing rentals, granting ownership rights, the inheritance of property, the establishment of waqf foundations, estimated costs of housing repairs, and, perhaps above all, the spatial configurations of residences. Moreover, the quantitative analysis of such information makes it possible to identify the spatial components of Ottoman houses, as well as clarify the availability of space for housing, determine which spaces were typical and which were luxury, and, in turn, evaluate the living conditions of urban residents from different social strata. With reference to the Kadı Registries of Istanbul, Bab and Rumeli, this article characterizes the living conditions and spatial standards of city dwellers in Istanbul during the 17th century, as well as discusses both changes and continuity in housing and, more generally, situations of urban living at the time.

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Istanbul Kadı Registers Sicil no. 3 (İKR-3)

Istanbul Kadı Registers Sicil no. TSMA-213 (İKR-213)

Istanbul Kadı Registers Sicil no. TSMA-225 (İKR-225)

Istanbul Kadı Registers Sicil no. TSMA-246 (İKR-246)

Rumeli Kadı Registers Sicil no. 35 (RKR-35)

Rumeli Kadı Registers Sicil no. 80 (RKR-80)

Rumeli Kadı Registers Sicil no. 116 (RKR-116)

Rumeli Kadı Registers Sicil no. 139 (RKR-139)Bab Kadı Registers Sicil no. 3 (BKR-3)

Bab Kadı Registers Sicil no. 46 (BKR-46)

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