Bachelor’s Rooms in Üsküdar

Abstract

Istanbul, the capital city of the Ottoman Empire and its surroundings has been the center of attraction for traders, travelers and immigrants. Also, as a result of the "Suhte" riots which started in the second half of the 16th century, and the violence due to the Jalal Uprising in Anatolia at the end of the century, many people from Anatolia started immigrating to big cities such as Bursa and
Istanbul. Istanbul and its surroundings constituted the largest immigration center. Üsküdar was the entry point for the immigrants, so single men from Anatolia to Istanbul. Üsküdar also had ports such as Balaban, Salacak, and Ayazma, which increased its commercial potential. The immigrants were often defined and treated as "single" by the officials and the public, as they mostly
immigrated on their own, with their families left behind. Thus, even their means of accommodation were named as "Erki rooms", bachelor rooms, and male rooms. These immigrants lived in very difficult circumstances and were mostly isolated by the surrounding communities, as they were often deemed as potential criminals by the official authorities and the public. This assessment proved to be a self-fulfilling prophecy and the resources on the singles living in their single men rooms bed-sitters often mention them in this respect. The aim of this article is to examine the context in which these single's rooms emerged,
study the events that took place in the bachelor rooms especially in Üsküdar, understand the viewpoints of the community on the bachelor rooms, the problems faced by the people accommodating in these rooms and also focus on the most famous bachelor rooms (Balaban port). Certainly, another important point to be emphasized here is the perspective of the government to these
rooms. Ottoman archival sources and resources from the era will be used in the article.