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Tughra of Mehmed II on a 1468 Property Deed

Unknown court scribe (nişancı) · 1468

The sultan's own calligraphic signature monogram, used to authenticate an official property deed issued in 1468.

This is the sultan's own monogram, used to authorize official acts during his reign.

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Ornate brown ink calligraphic monogram on pale parchment: a tughra with three tall vertical strokes rising from a looping, curled base, with a long horizontal stroke extending to the right and a large loop on the left.
Tughra of Mehmed II on a property deed (mülkname), 1468.

About this source

What it is

A tughra is the elaborate calligraphic monogram that Ottoman sultans used in place of a signature on official documents. This example, made by an unknown court scribe (nişancı), appears on a property deed (mülkname) dated 1468, issued during the reign of Mehmed II.

Why it matters

The tughra was the mark of the sultan's authority, stamped or drawn on every official act in his name. This 1468 deed shows Mehmed II's government functioning in the years after his conquest of Constantinople, granting and recording property rights. It is a primary document of how Ottoman rule was administered on a day-to-day basis.

Look closer

  • Why would a ruler need a special, hard-to-copy symbol like this instead of a simple signature?
  • What might a property deed tell us about ordinary life under Mehmed II's rule?
  • What does the care put into this design suggest about the importance of written documents in his empire?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Mehmed II on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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