Waqfs of the Ottoman-Era Tokat Rüstem Çelebi Mosque

Tokat is one of the oldest cities in Anatolia, which was home to many ancient civilizations. In the city of Tokat, which entered into the Turkish domination at the late XIth century, a large number of religious, social, economic, and cultural artifacts such as mosques, small mosques, seminary schools, soup kitchens, lodges, inns, public baths, and tombs were constructed during the Danismendid, Seljukid, and Ottoman periods. The fact that Tokat is on the east-west and south-north road route in Anatolia, having a rich socio-economic potential with its mild climate and fertile agricultural lands has a great role in bringing these works into the body. In addition, the fact that half of the 70 Muslim neighborhoods in the period 1455-1574 had the names of mosques and masjids reflects the religious identity of the city. Thanks to this rich socio-economic potential, the functioning of religious, social, cultural and economic monuments that have been established in Tokat has been made possible with the help of waqf funds. In this article, Rustem Çelebi Mosque waqfs will be discussed as an case study among the rich foundation works available in Tokat during the Ottoman period. Although there are some individual studies about this mosque waqfs, these studies do not examine the waqf revenues of this mosque from the beginning to the present day. Waqf revenues are vital for the mosque to continue its function. This mosque is one of 17 mosques built in the city center of Tokat between XII and XXth centuries and was probably built in the second half of the XVth century. In the following periods, it has undergone some repairs and has survived to the present day. Modest waqf funds have been allocated by the founder for the maintenance and repair of the mosque and the salaries of its duties. In addition, some beneficiaries have established additional foundations for the mosque. The aim of the study is to contribute to the socio-cultural history of Tokat by addressing the foundations of Rustem Çelebi Mosque in all aspects.