Abstract:

One of Anatolia’s oldest cities, Tokat was the ground upon which ancient civilizations were planted, grown, and dispersed; nearly every rock and piece of soil in the city has the imprint of ancient history. In the city of Tokat, during the Danishmendid, Seljuk, and Ottoman periods, numerous mosques, masjids, madrasahs, soup kitchens, lodges, inns, public baths, and tombs were constructed. Tokat came under Turkish control in the late XIth century. Tokat’s location on the east-west and south-north road routes, socio-economic potential, and fertile agricultural regions all play a significant part in putting these works into the body. These religious, social, economic, and cultural institutions built up in Tokat, like the rest of the Ottoman Empire, have persisted thanks to waqf revenues. In this article, the Sultan Murad Mosque/Grand Mosque waqfs will be examined as an exemplary study among the extensive Ottoman-era waqfs works in Tokat. Although there have been some solitary studies about the mosque’s waqfs, none of them have looked into the mosque’s waqf revenues throughout its history. This mosque, one of the largest of 17 mosques, was constructed in Tokat’s city center between XIIth and XXth centuries. It is likely to have been built during the Seljuk era. It received extensive restoration under Sultan Chelebi Mehmed or Sultan Murad II during the Ottman era, and as a result, it was named Sultan Murad Mosque. A minor portion of the waqf funds were devoted to the mosque’s upkeep and repairs as the salaries of the staff. In addition, some beneficiaries have established new additional waqfs for the mosque. By examining the Sultan Murad Mosque’s waqfs from every angle, the study aims to add to the sociocultural history of Tokat.

Keywords: