Abstract:

Quarantine which is an effective method in controlling contagious diseases which cause contagion and generally death of many people in a short time dates back to the Old Testament in Western Civilization. It is known that quarantine has been applied commonly as an approach of community health care in the 14th century during when plagues ravaged Europe. In Ottoman Empire which reigned over a wide geography; first quarantine practices started in 19. Century in corporate sense; and gained currency due to epidemic cholera which emerged in Istanbul in 1831. Documents about the issue show that the Ottoman Empire had important contributions in enabling international co-operation concerning quarantine. However it draws attraction that in the same period, countries that are influenced economically from the practice entered into serious discussions in the sense of benefits and problems of quarantine. In this study it was aimed to discuss basic social dynamics which influenced the start of quarantine practice in the Ottoman Empire, administrative and religious factors about practice, related corporate and legal regulations in historical sense.

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