General Directorate of Foundations Archive 1179 numbered Rumelia Hurufat Book (Analysis and transcription)

Foundations are charitable works that have existed for centuries as institutions that have emerged to help people. Many services that are performed by the state today were realized through foundations during the Ottoman period. In this context, foundations were active in many religious, social, cultural and economic fields. There are many first-hand sources on foundations, which are among the most important institutions in analyzing the social and cultural structure of the Ottoman Empire. One of these source groups is the "Hurufat Notebooks". Hurufat notebooks are archival sources in which transactions such as appointments, promotions, relocations and dismissals of people working in foundations are recorded. Thanks to the records in these books, the founders of the foundations, the settlements such as cities or villages where they were located, their fields of activity, the officials working in these foundations and the professional careers of these officials can be understood.