imaret
Sign in to savethumb|The imaret of the Hagia Sophia complex in [[Istanbul, built in 1743]] Imaret, sometimes also known as a darüzziyafe, is one of several names used to identify the public soup kitchens built throughout the Ottoman Empire from the 14th to the 19th centuries. These public kitchens were often part of a larger complex known as a külliye, which could include hospices, mosques, caravanserais, and colleges. The imarets provided food that was free of charge to specific groups of people and unfortunate individuals. Imarets were not invented by the Ottomans but developed under their rule as highly s
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History
- Function
- Charity
- Endowment
- Distribution
- Foods
- Notable examples
- See also
- References
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Further reading
thumb|The imaret of the Hagia Sophia complex in [[Istanbul, built in 1743]] Imaret, sometimes also known as a darüzziyafe, is one of several names used to identify the public soup kitchens built throughout the Ottoman Empire from the 14th to the 19th centuries. These public kitchens were often part of a larger complex known as a külliye, which could include hospices, mosques, caravanserais, and colleges. The imarets provided food that was free of charge to specific groups of people and unfortunate individuals. Imarets were not invented by the Ottomans but developed under their rule as highly structured groups of buildings.
== Etymology == The Turkish word comes from Arabic , which signified "habitation and cultivation" or "the act of building, making habitable". The shift in the word's meaning to denote a religious complex or public kitchen appears to be unique to the Ottoman context.