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Centuries-old land and endowment records from Jerusalem, dating back to the Ottoman era, are being preserved in the archives of Türkiye’s General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre. The collection provides rare documentation of the city’s ownership and foundation history, covering both private and charitable estates.
According to Abdullah Unlu, head of the Directorate’s Archive Department, the institution safeguards land registry records from 26 countries once ruled by the Ottoman Empire.
Within this collection are 47 “tapu tahrir defteri”—official land survey registers — that span two distinct periods, from 1562 to 1597 and from 1865 to 1917. These volumes contain nearly 170,000 records relating specifically to Jerusalem. The entries detail property rights of private owners as well as waqf holdings—religious endowments established under Islamic law to support public services such as mosques, schools, or hospitals.
Unlu explained that the registration of Jerusalem’s lands began after the conquest of Palestine by Sultan Selim I, known as Yavuz Sultan Selim, and that the records were officially inscribed during the reign of his son, Sultan Suleiman I, in 1566.
He emphasized that the Ottoman state attached great importance to archival practices, which ensured that these documents have survived in good condition until today.
Responding to recent remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who stated that “Jerusalem is our city,” Unlu underlined the legal weight of the Ottoman registers.
“These documents are all legal proofs with full validity. That is why they have been in our possession for 400 years. I see Netanyahu’s statements as a sign of weakness,” he said.
The archive in Ankara is open to international scholars and researchers, who can apply for access to study the documents. Unlu also noted that the directorate has published a special volume known as the “Jerusalem Waqf Register,” making part of this vast historical record available in book form.
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