Khan Managers in the Late Ottoman Istanbul- Odabaşıs

This article examines khan managers known as odabaşıs, due to their active role in the urban areas of Istanbul. Of course, local authorities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries needed them in order to provide security, extract taxes, and prevent diseases. This article introduces odabaşıs from this angle among others such as their origin and election. Social and economic flexibility are other relevant subjects of the article. Khans were important political positions of early 20th Century Istanbul and thus, they witnessed the development of political consciousness and played active roles in this respect. Finally, this article suggests that like many other places, khans represented the public sphere