Osmanlı-Türk şehrinde mahalle

Abstract

Ill MAHALLE IN THE OTTOMAN TURKISH CITY (summary) The subject of this study is the phenomenon of the mahalle (neighbourhood), a distinct social entity, within cultural, economic, administrative and municipal context, in traditional Ottoman cities. The purpose is to approach an understanding of common urban problems experienced also by society today - even though at a different developmental level - while identifying the functional and structural qualities of the mahalle in the Ottoman social structure. Our starting point was the necessity of basing our study on urban heritage. Within this context an examination was made of the urban structure and institutions of former Turkish, Byzantine, Islamic and Seljuk civilizations, which form the historical and cultural background for the Ottoman Turkish city and its institutions. The traditions and customs of former Turkish societies, where the communal life style led to the support of the weak by the strong, was combined in later periods with the Islamic understanding of society and ethics, and together with other urban institutions constituted an important factor in the development of the mahalle. At the same time it is put forward that the closed urban life style of the Byzantines, which was especially felt at mahalle level, was to a certain extent an influential factor in the structure of Anatolian Seljuk urban settlements. The fact that the Seljuks, as an Islamic state, were an important element in the preservation of the existing order and the continuity of the mahalle, both within the context of the state and in urban life, has been evaluated as the immediate precedent for the Ottoman Turkish mahalle. The wakfs-foundations (imaret siteleri-urban complexes) and guilds (esnaf teşkilatı), together with the mahalle, were additional basic institutional elements within the Ottoman Turkish city. The foundations, through their urban complexes which were multi-purpose centres, have been especially important in the establishment and development of the mahalle. Furthermore, charitable foundations have contributed to the collective financial strength of the mahalle population. The guilds on the other hand were important in understanding the social psychology of the mahalle, in the evaluation of human behaviour according to certain basic attitudes, and in understanding the necessity of existing social institutional relationships.- IV - Taking the 16th century situation as a starting point a prototype structure of the Ottoman Turkish mahalle has been determined, within the context of its physical and demographic characteristics and its social-administrative structure. The social side of this structure is seen to be flexible, open and natural. It is also heterogeneous from the point of view of income and profession. As the physical area of the mahalle is detennined by its social and administrative organization it was necessary to limit population. The internal organization of the mahalle population was based on a `chain of personal guarantees`, `common responsibility` and `good neighbourliness`. Although the mahalle had been organized with the purpose of offering both central and local services, it has been examined here within the local context. The mahalle administration, although centrally appointed, in practice maintained its authority aonly through the acceptance of the people, thus constituting an open form of administration, made possible by close social ties within the context of common responsibility. The Avariz Akcasi (mutual funds) foundations, constituting an independent financial source for the mahalle and formed by the contributions of the mahalle population both in cash and in kind, served both social and municipal aims. Thus the mahalle, as a social and institutional organization, exhibits an administratively and financially independent structure based mainly on participation. During the 19th century, while basic changes were taking place in the institutional frmework on which Ottoman society was based, an era of decline began in the structure and values of society. The concept of urban life, which underwent change due to this situation, resulted in the formation of the kenar mahalle (fringe neighbourhood). In this study, the Ottoman Turkish mahalle has been considered taking as our base firstly the historical and cultural sources, then considering relationships with urban institutions. The social and administrative organization within the emerging prototype structure was studied in conjunction with the changes occurring during the last era. As a result it was observed that the mahalle was both a source of basic strength within Ottoman social structure and that, as a nucleus of civilian socity, it exhibited administrative and social organization at an urban level.