Economic Life in Ottoman Jerusalem

by Amnon Cohen

• ISBN13: 9780521524353
• ISBN10: 0521524350
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-08-22
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Jerusalem was never just another Ottoman town, but in the heyday of the Ottoman Empire it displayed many of the characteristics of a Muslim traditional society. Professor Cohen makes full use of the rich and hitherto unexplored Arabic and Turkish archives relating to this period to reconstruct a vivid and detailed picture of everyday life in this lively urban centre. His study focuses on the major guilds of sixteenth-century Jerusalem - butchers, soap-producers and dealers, millers and bakers, describing and analysing their production methods, prices and measures, and the services they provided for the local population. In addition, their economic ties with neighbouring villages, as well as their social background and inter-relations are discussed. The author shows how this detailed knowledge can lead to a better understanding of the longer-term changes in the economy of the city and of the Empire as a whole.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations

Note on transcription

Introduction

1. Butchers and meat consumption

2. Soap production and olive oil

3. Flour and bread

4. Conclusion

Note on abbreviations

Note on weights, measures and monetary values

Appendices

Notes

Bibliography

Indexes.