Charitable women of Ottoman Sarajevo

This study examines waqfs founded by women in Sarajevo, one of the frontier regions of the Ottoman Empire, and the social roles assumed by women through these foundations. Following the establishment of Ottoman rule in 1463, processes of Ottoman urbanization began in the city, and the waqf institution—one of the fundamental elements of this urbanization—was actively embraced not only by men but also by women. Based on waqf deeds (vakfiyes), this study aims to reveal women's visibility in social, cultural, and economic life by analyzing waqfs founded by women in Sarajevo from the fifteenth century to the late nineteenth century. Although waqfs continued to be established and operated in the region after the end of Ottoman rule, they fall outside the scope of this study and are therefore not addressed. The thesis adopts a historical method and a qualitative analytical approach. Waqf deeds and sharʿiyya court records preserved in local archives—primarily the Gazi Husrev Bey Library—were examined. While the literature includes numerous studies on waqfs in general as well as on waqfs founded by women, the primary aim of this study is to present these waqfs through quantitative data-based charts and visual analyses. Within this framework, the nature, financial structures, and chronological distribution of waqfs administered by women during Ottoman rule in Sarajevo between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries are presented. The findings indicate that women predominantly endowed mosques, madrasas, soup kitchens (imarets), hospitals (darüşşifa), and fountains, and that they participated in waqf administration under titles such as mütevelli (trustee), nâzır (supervisor), and bâniye (female founder). It is understood that women who established waqfs in Sarajevo acted both out of philanthropic motivations and a sense of social responsibility. Through these activities, women not only contributed to addressing social needs but also secured a place for themselves in the public sphere. The case of Sarajevo offers a significant contribution to the literature by demonstrating that women were capable of producing human capital in provincial settings and that the Ottoman waqf system was not exclusively male-centered. In conclusion, this thesis aims to open an original perspective in the fields of women's history and waqf studies by illustrating how Ottoman women were able to own property independently, exercise their legal rights, and shape society through the establishment of waqfs.