Osmanl 'da Bir Afet Y netimi rne i: 1883 e me ve Urla Depremi/// An Example of Disaster Management in Ottoman State: 1883 esme and Urla Earthquake

Analysis of natural disasters took place in surely gives important clues for the socio-economic history of both states and the towns in which such events took place. One of these natural disasters in Ottoman geography was the earthquake took place on 15 October 1883 in the region of e me and Urla. While dozens of people lost their lives, thousands lost their homes and livestock due to this catastrophic quake. Although it was the biggest recorded earthquake in the history of e me province, after the earthquake, central government and local authorities worked together in harmony to restore the devastated lives. During this process of conciliation, finding shelters for the victims, feeding them and distribution of the supplies to the sufferers were the main concerns. Help foundations established in some certain cities had successfully raised considerable sums for the benefit of the earthquake victims.In short, this paper focuses on the losses caused by the quake, the crisis management of Ottoman State, the behaviors of the central government, local authorities and Ottoman society.