Three Eighteenth-Century Waqf Documents from the Ottoman Courts of Aleppo

This article is a study of three 18th-century documents from the archives of the Ottoman qāḍī-courts of Aleppo. Although the nature of the cases they relate differ, they all deal with various aspects of the waqf institution: istibdal – i.e. the exchange of ruined or unprofitable waqf property for a more productive one – the creation of a new waqf, and, finally, a dispute over the right to benefit from waqf property. Juridical considerations aside, the interest of these cases lies primarily in the fact that the individuals mentioned and involved in the three documents belong to a restricted circle of notable family groups which are at various degrees linked to one another through marriage relations. Even in their limited scope, these documents provide valuable information on some of the notable families of the city and their social networks.