Ottoman Armenian Document #18
Name/Title
Ottoman Armenian Document #18Scope and Content
A birth certificate ("Devlet-i Aliyye Nüfus Tezkîresi") with the name listed is Virjin, and her father’s name is Manouk, born in Istanbul (Şehr-i Emanet Celilesi for the vilayet). Her millet/religion/nation is recorded as “Christian,” which was typically marked as “Armenian” for Armenians. The name Kömürciyan is spelled in Latin script on the side, and the date 22/6/1926 appears in Latin script as well, though the document itself is dated 1323 (1905-6). On the backside, Վիրժին Համիտիծ (Virjin Hamidits) is written. This document served as an identification card that all citizens potentially possessed. Men often kept it inside their fez, giving rise to its colloquial name, “head paper” (kafa kağıdı). These documents were first adopted in 1863 as an identification document. It included information describing the holder (parents, address, physical description) and where he/she was registered in the population registry. The tughra of Mehmed V is displayed, and the birthdate is recorded as 1283 Hijri (1866 Gregorian).Category
Misc. Documents