The Trustees Of The Hala Sultan Foundation In Cyprus In 18th And 19th Centuries

Abstract

Umm Haram bint-i Milhan el-Ensariyye, who was the wet nurse of the Prophet Muhammed, died in Cyprus during the first expedition of the Muslims in AD 649. The place which had her grave had been built a tomb later, which it is in Larnaca in Cyprus and it is called by the Turkish Cypriots as Hala Sultan Tekke. Although the place and date of the construction of the shrine is not exactly known, having conquered Cyprus the Ottomans did specially make a point of the tomb and a lot of revenue sources were dedicated by the founders of some foundations in Cyprus from 1601 onwards. Even though some revenue sources were allocated by the some vaqf founders in Cyprus from 1601 onwards, Vaqf of Hala Sultan Tekke and its trustees appeared as an institution in the first half of the 18th century. The main duty of the trustee was to protect and increase the revenue sources of the foundation. The aim of the study is to reveal the trustees of the Tekke, to evaluate their activities and to contribute to the history of Cyprus.