A COMPARATIVE ESSAY ON ECONOMIC QUALITIES OF THE OTTOMAN CITIES IN THE 16TH CENTURY

It is an obvious fact that in the 16th century, the Ottoman geography experienced a process ofexpansion and transformation both in terms of economic and population. This process affectednot only the geography of countryside but also penetrated into cities. In this article, dependingon the mentioned thesis, a comparative essay is made on economic qualities of the 16th centuryOttoman cities by exploiting the archival files of the period and the city monographs. For thispurpose, with drilling method, cities are selected which have the necessary characteristicsto represent an Ottoman city in respect of both economic and population, and economicalachievements that these cities possess are presented comparatively. Thus, in the paper, it isattempted to determine economic parameters of the Ottoman city typology; to put forward thecommercial, agricultural and industrial characteristics that these cities possess; to displaydynamic elements of city