The Waqfs of Mutesellim Abdi A？a in the Districts of H？sn-？ Mansur and Behisni

The waqfs, which are important institutions in terms of their social, economic and legal aspects in the Turkish and Islamic states, played an important role in the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman waqfs were established by the members of the dynasty, the sultans, the high ranking statesmen, the rich and distinguished people of the society. In Ad？yaman province, which fell under the rule of Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, many waqfs were established by the rich, powerful and elite people of the community, such as bey, pasha, sheikh, just as throughout the whole country. The waqfs that Abdi A？a established in Ad？yaman constitute a good example of such initiatives. In this study, the waqfs of Abdi A？a, which were founded in H？sn-？ Mansur (Ad？yaman) and Behisni (Besni) districts in the late 18th century, and their foundation certificate-charters were examined. Having presented some general information about waqfs to better understand the subject, details were given on the schools, madrasas, mosques and their staff established by the waqf of Abdi A？a