BİRGİ KÖY ODALARI VAKIFLARI (XVIII.-XX. YÜZYILLAR)
BIRGI VILLAGE CHAMBERS WAKFS (XVIIITH-XXTH CENTURIES)

Summary/Abstract: Today, village guesthouses serve as places where travelers visiting a village for any reason are hosted, important decisions related to the village are made, and religious and social events are held. Rooted in the historical Ahi Order, these structures have been operational in various regions of the Ottoman Empire at different times. In Birgi, one of these regions, village guesthouses served as waqfs (endowments). Unlike the village guesthouses in many other parts of Anatolia, which functioned as centers of social and cultural activities, the guesthouses in Birgi primarily served as hostels. This study examines 18 village guesthouse waqfs established in different regions of Birgi district during the 18th to 20th centuries. Among these, only the Osman Ağa Village Guesthouse in Konaklı Village has survived to the present day. Records related to the village guesthouses can be found in the archives of the General Directorate of Foundations and the Ottoman Archives of the Prime Ministry. The existence of the Birgi village guesthouse waqfs has been identified through archival resources. Additionally, the revenues, founders, locations, and staff of these waqfs have been analyzed. The history of the village guesthouses established by philanthropists in Birgi sheds light not only on the history of Birgi but also on the rural and social history of the Ottoman Empire.

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