Constructing Ottoman Beneficence: An Imperial Soup Kitchen in Jerusalem (S U N Y Series in Near Eastern Studies)

Ottoman charitable endowments (waqf) constituted an enduring monument to imperial beneficence and were important instruments of policy. One type of endowment, the public soup kitchen (imaret) served travelers, scholars, pious mystics, and local indigents alike. Constructing Ottoman Beneficence examines the political, social, and cultural context for founding these public kitchens. It challenges long-held notions about the nature of endowments and explores for the first time how Ottoman modes of beneficence provide an important paradigm for understanding universal questions about the nature of charitable giving.A typical and well-documented example was the imaret of Hasseki Hurrem Sultan, wife of Sultan Süleyman I, in Jerusalem. The imaret operated at the confluence of imperial endowment practices and Ottoman food supply policies, while also exemplifying the role of imperial women as benefactors. Through its operations, the imaret linked imperial Ottoman and local Palestinian interests, integrating urban and rural economies. Ottoman charitable endowments (waqf) constituted an enduring monument to imperial beneficence and were important instruments of policy. One type of endowment, the public soup kitchen (>imaret) served travelers, scholars, pious mystics, and local indigents alike. Constructing Ottoman Beneficence examines the political, social, and cultural context for founding these public kitchens. It challenges long-held notions about the nature of endowments and explores for the first time how Ottoman modes of beneficence provide an important paradigm for understanding universal questions about the nature of charitable giving. A typical and well-documented example was the imaret of Hasseki Hurrem Sultan, wife of Sultan Sleyman I, in Jerusalem. The imaret operated at the confluence of imperial endowment practices and Ottoman food supply policies, while also exemplifying the role of imperial women as benefactors. Through its operations, the imaret linked imperial Ottoman and local Palestinian interests, integrating urban and rural economies. Annotation. Those interested in women's roles as charitable patrons, the Ottomans, and the Islamic institution of waqf will find this study a welcome addition to the field. Singer (history, Tel Aviv U., Israel) provides a detailed, thoroughly documented history of the charitable soup kitchen in Jerusalem that was run by Hasseki Hurrem Sultan, wife of Suleyman I. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR Amy Singer. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 207-228) And Index.