Non-Muslims in the sharia court records of Beşiktaş (Second half of the Sixteenth Century)

The way to understand Ottoman society properly is to recognize and understand all the elements that make up that society. It is not possible to reveal the real structure of the Ottoman society without considering the non-muslims subjects. The main purpose of this thesis, is to examine the various aspect of non-muslims living in Beşiktaş in the second half of the sixteenth century. This study is mainly based on Beşiktaş Sharia court records covering the period 1552-1609. Additionally, archival documents, fatwas and travel accounts have been utilized. This thesis aims to understand what it meant to live in Beşiktaş as a non-muslims in the second half of the sixteenth century. For this study purpose evaluates the residential patters of non-muslims, their names, professions, material culture, daily life, family lives, their places in the Ottoman legal system, their relationship with Muslims and the Ottoman state. This thesis prefers to focuses on Beşiktaş due to the fact that in the examined period Greek, Armenian, Jewish and Frank people with different ethnic identities were located in Beşiktaş and its vicinity. At the final point, apart from presenting a picture of non-muslims living in Beşiktaş. This thesis also provided a modest contribution to the history of Beşiktaş in terms of demographic, architectural, social and geographical structure as much as reflected in the Beşiktaş court registers. Keywords: Beşiktaş, Sharia, Non-muslims, Muslims, İstanbul, XVIth century