From Zibil to Mezbele: Social Order, Garbage and Officials in Early Modern Ottoman Bursa

ENVIRONMENT AND HISTORY, cilt.32, sa.3, ss.387-407, 2026 (SSCI)

This article examines discarded objects and items considered as garbage

within the context of Ottoman urban life. Upholding communal living prin-

ciples and ensuring cleanliness in communal areas are vital for residents and

help maintain social order. The central aim of this study is to understand how

early modern Ottoman society viewed and categorised discarded items. By ex-

amining the terminology used to describe them, this research seeks to enhance

our understanding of the lexicon related to discarded objects. Additionally, the

article aims to identify specific locations within the Ottoman Empire, particu-

larly in Bursa, where garbage dumps were situated. It also seeks to clarify the

responsibilities and authority of official state representatives tasked with over-

seeing garbage, known as garbage dump officials. This analysis will primarily

rely on Bursa’s qadi court records, the registers of the imperial governing bu-

reau (mühimme kayıtları), fatwas from the Şeyhülislam, and various individual

documents from the Ottoman Archives.