Alimony Practice in Trabzon in the Ottoman Period (1703-1738)

The concept of nafaka is derived from the Arabic word infaq, and by definition, it is the cash or the corresponding material price spent in order to meet the basic needs of a person. In Islamic law, alimony is used to cover the expenses of people in need such as food, subsistence, clothing, accommodation and health. When considered sociologically, alimony has contributed to the continuation of the existence of the individual by giving the right to the right owner, and has made the understanding of cooperation and solidarity dominant in the society by increasing the social responsibility of the people who are responsible for alimony. There are two types of alimony in Islamic law, these are alimony under family law and alimony in the context of property law. The most common form of alimony in Islamic family law is marriage and kinship alimony arising from the family law relationship. Basically, alimony payments are a cash amount determined by the court and given regularly to the spouse after the divorce in terms of operation. The aim of this study will be to determine the types of alimony in the city of Trabzon between 1703 and 1738. In line with the data obtained, the purchasing power of the alimony costs in Trabzon during the Ottoman period will be given by comparative price analysis. It is aimed to contribute to the literature in this field by evaluating the purchasing power of alimony in the city of Trabzon in the Ottoman period from an economic point of view.