Мерната единица за повърхност „дьонюм“ в административно-финансовата практика на Османската империя (XV–XX в.)
The Surface Unit of Measure “Dönüm” in the Administrative-Financial System of the Ottoman Empire (15th – 20th cc.)

Summary/Abstract: The dönüm was one of the surface units of measure most widely used by the Ottoman administration. It was used in settling various agrarian relations, in the registration of lands and sale-trade of estates, as well as in connection with the tax and financial systems of the Empire. Hence, the frequent use of the dönüm in the timar registers and financial documents dealing with tax revenuer. The dönüm was most widely used in the land certificates (tapus). In certain parts of the Empire local units of measure were permitted to be used in this type of documents, especially in the tapus issued for inconsiderable amount of land. Great differences occur when we try to define more accurately the dönüm into metric units of measure. Most often the specialized literature equals the dönüm to 919,3 square metres. That, however, was the value accepted for it as late as the second half of the 19 c., and it is wrong to accept this value for the previous centuries. The article proves that until the end of the first half of the 19 c. the dönüm was equal to 1200 sq. metres. Since the 80’s of the 19 c. the term “new dönüm” has been used in the certificates of land ownership. The value of this dönüm is shown to be 2500 sq. metres. Nowadays the dönüm continues to be used as a unit of measure in Turkey and some Arab countries.

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