Plovdiv's waqfs during the Ottoman Era (XVIII. ve XIX centuries)

Plovdiv, that was gateway of Ottoman which was characterized as Balkan Empire, had become stabilized and important city during the Ottoman period. Plovdiv's conquest from Ottomans which was in 1360's, caused a rapid urbanization. This city had gained Turkish-Islam identity with the help of waqfs those were founded by Ottoman Sultan Murad I and his commanders Lala Şahin Pasha and Şehabeddin Pasha. Furthermore it continued to develop with the help of waqfs those were founded by Muslims of the city. These waqfs revitalized the social and economic life of the city and provided many services. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the waqfs established in Plovdiv in 18th and 19th century and find out their contribution to social and economic life of the city.