Auction Practices in the Early Modern Period Ottoman Empire

Abstract

Nowadays, auction is a popular sales mechanism that is used for a wide range of and the various purposes, from works of art to real estate, from food to clothing and hobby products. This mechanism, which includes the sale of the goods to the buyer who gives the highest bidder, is also defined by different terms such as open bidding and vendue etc. The auction practice, which has been seen in this way since ancient times, was also used in the early modern period Ottoman world. Therefore, the focus of this article is auction practices in the early modern period Ottoman Empire. The purpose of this is to understand whether the auction had a formation phase in the Ottoman Empire or not. In this direction, the subject has been examined around movable goods and the capital of the empire is at the centre of the study. The sources of the article constitute the lists of heritage and old property, which sold, and auction registers in the Ottoman Archives.