Damascus treasure in the XVIII th century

Damascus governors also running pilgrimage emirates in the XVIIIth centuries, had to receive sources financed for pilgrimage from necessary places in time. One of income sources of the pilgrimage constituted incomes of various places being tied to Damascus Treasury through a ocaklik. One of the most important duties of Damascus defterdar was delivering the amount separated for pilgrimage to governor of the region who was pilgrimage emir. Pilgrimage cellar expense was the largest expense part of the treasury until 1745. From this date forward, the muqataas appointed as ocaklik for pilgrimage cellar were no langer under the control of defterdar. These muqataas incomes were ordered to give Damascus Governor directly. The decision that Pilgrimage Emirates was given to Damascus governers in 1708 has been the centre of politics related Ottoman State's Pilgrimage. It is possible to say that these politics were supported by this second decision made in 1745. State wanted that income sources separated for pilgrimage should be run from, one centre. Harameyn (Mecca-Medina) ahalisi surre (or cevâlî) payments took place instead of that expense part in treasury budget. However expecially in the later century, that maqtu/muqataa from income parts of the Treasury couldn't be taken annual price, caused problems related paying "Haremeyn ahalisi surre". Treasury tried to search different incomes because of increasing of surre payment; in that case it was borrowed money from Istanbul or increased annual fees of the current ocaklik muqataa income or new ocakliks were appointed. The most applied method was new ocaklik appointments. That treasury being self-sufficient until 1752-53 went through a big financial crisis, has been understood from budget registers. Financial responsibilities of treasury from the viewpoint of Ottoman State, State's politics about Damascus via institution, and causes of not being collected of incomes will be complement by comprehending Damascus in the XVIIIth century. Information introduced in the study is based on Presidential Ottoman Archives (BOA), and these sources consist of files containing documents related Damascus Treasury, ruznamçe and accountancy registers. KEY WORDS Damascus Treasury, Defterdar, Damascus cellar expense, Ocaklik, Cevâlî, Maqtu/muqataa.