Sisters of charity, philanthropy and health in the nineteenth century ottoman empire

This dissertation studies the health services offered by French Catholic sisters, known as Filles de la Charité, between 1839 and 1918 in Istanbul. For the study, the documents of the Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives and Annals of the community are used as the primary sources. Literature on gender, missionary activities, philanthropy and late Ottoman history are used as secondary sources. The study aims to present a detailed examination of the activities of the sisters, who have been presented rarely in literature despite being present in many important health institutions in the 19th century Istanbul; and to reveal the interactions between women missionaries and the Ottoman Empire. In this study, the political, historical and social factors that constitute the foundation of the congregation in France and their spread in Ottoman lands are discussed; and information about the institutions which the sisters have established or directly managed in Istanbul are included. Although the dissertation focuses on hospital and dispensary services, information on the charitable works based on the care of orphaned children and education are also included. The information gathered in the study is assessed in terms of the political balances shaped by the historical and cultural codes to meet the needs of health in the Ottoman Empire; and the dimensions and limits of the support of the Ottoman administration to the services of the sisters, both in their own institutions and those of the Ottoman state, as a result of the emergencies such as epidemics, natural disasters and wars are discussed.