Foundations

During the Ottoman period, more social-purpose money foundations were established in and around Gümüşhane. These types of foundations are generally established to meet the common needs of the people of a certain village or neighborhood, to provide assistance and social solidarity among them. Cash foundations played an active role in the continuation of religious establishments, such as fountains, roads and bridges. Below you will find the records that I was able to access as a result of my research.

Uğurtaşı village has hosted caravans since it is on the road from Trabzon to Erzurum. It is an undeniable fact that this situation contributes to the contemporary appearance of the village. At the beginning of the 1800s, the caravans would meet their needs in the foundation inn belonging to the Tufan aghas (Karakullukcu) in the village (1785-1842), and after resting here, they continued on their way. (Annex-10) The Tufan aga foundation met all the needs of the Indian and Egyptian caravans passing through the village. The foundation also treated the Greeks and Armenians living in the region well and helped those who were economically weak. For this reason, well-off people staying here and living in the surrounding area would donate food, clothing and money to Tufan Ağa's foundation. So, Tufan Ağa would provide food, clothing and money to the poor, widows and orphans in the region.

It has been determined that 28 money foundations were established between 1870-1914 in Gümüşhane and its surroundings. The most generous of these 28 foundations is the 15,000 kuruş one set up by Karakullukcu son Tahir (1878-1934), agha from Torul District İstavri Village. This foundation was established on September 15, 1909 (29.08.1327). Tahir Ağa stipulated that the 15,000 kuruş he donated would be spent every year for the imam of the mosque in his village, 1,000, the director of the foundation 300, and the remainder on the repair of the mosque and the muezzin. In Annex-11, you can find the work of Associate Professor İsmail Kıvrım, who has done detailed studies on these issues. In Annex-12, you can find Tahir Karakullukçu's money foundation donation list. (Based on documents received from Hüsnü Karakullukçu.)

Trustee and foundation institutions are well known in U*urtaş* village. As a matter of fact, there was a foundation belonging to a mosque other than the Tahir Ağa foundation. There are records of 2-3 acres of land adjacent to the Iranian cemetery (now Yenicuma Marketplace) in the Trabzon Boztepe neighborhood in the Trabzon foundation directorate's records. For unknown reasons, however, the mosque foundation has lost its legal personality. In our village, the trustee method continues in the Republican period as it was in the Ottoman period. The management of the villagers' cash assets was carried out by Bekir Karakullukcu (1856-1904, a veterinarian) during the Ottoman period, and then by uncle Tahir Karakullukcu (1878-1934). During the Republican period, it was carried out by Ziya and Orhan Karakullukcu, and as of 2005, it is overseen by the village headman.