The Contribution of Archives to Understanding and Reconstructing the City of Constantine During the Ottoman Period

Abstract

This study explores the Ottoman archives to uncover the urban history and the architectural layout of Constantine, Algeria, focusing on the 'Daftar rusūmʾamlāk balad Qaṣanṭīna', a registry of property deeds from the 15th to the early 19th century. It provides detailed insights into property locations, functions, and ownership transactions, alongside the architectural and social roles of mosques (ǧāmaʿ), chapels (zāwiya), and educational institutions (madrasas). The research also examines the urban landscape through street and neighborhood toponymy, and delves into economic frameworks by analyzing market (sūq) and inn (funduq) networks, their placements, and specializations. Additionally, it includes an evaluation of public squares (raḥba and baṭḥa), offering a fragmented yet detailed mosaic of data that assists in reconstructing the urban quarters of Constantine during the specified period.

Keywords

• Constantine
• Deeds Ottoman Archives
• rusūm al-amlāk

Arşivlerin Osmanlı Dönemi’nde Konstantin Şehrinin Anlaşılması ve Yeniden İnşasına Katkısı

Öz

Bu çalışma, 15. yüzyıldan 19. yüzyıl başlarına kadar olan dönemde Cezayir'in Konstantin şehrinin kentsel tarihini ve mimari yapısını ortaya çıkarmak için Osmanlı arşivlerini incelemekte ve 'Daftar rusūmʾamlāk balad Qaṣanṭīna' adlı mülkiyet tapu kayıtları defterine odaklanmaktadır. Çalışma, mülklerin yerlerini, işlevlerini ve mülkiyet alım satım işlemlerini detaylı bir şekilde ele almakta, camilerin (ǧāmaʿ), mescitlerin (zāwiya) ve eğitim kurumlarının (medreseler) mimari ve sosyal rollerini incelemektedir. Araştırma ayrıca, sokak ve mahalle toponimileri üzerinden kentsel peyzajı değerlendirir, pazar (sūq) ve han (funduq) ağlarını, yerleşimlerini ve uzmanlık alanlarını analiz ederek ekonomik çerçeveleri incelemektedir. Ek olarak, kamu meydanlarının (raḥba ve baṭḥa) değerlendirilmesini içermekte ve belirtilen dönemde Konstantin’in kentsel mahallelerinin yeniden yapılandırılmasına yardımcı olan parçalı ancak kapsamlı bir veri mozaiği sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Konstantin
• Osmanlı Arşivleri
• Tapu
• rusūm al-ʾamlāk

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