Throughout history, foundations, which have been an integral part of societal life, have been essential institutions in human history, particularly since ancient times. The concept of foundations, closely associated with Turkish and Islamic civilization, is essentially an example of social solidarity seen in ancient civilizations as well. Indeed, traces of foundations, including foundation documents, can be found from the Sumerians and Hittites, indicating that the idea of foundations is rooted in ancient traditions. The existence of the concept of foundations is also known among the pre-Islamic Turks. Especially in the Turfan excavations in East Turkistan, texts related to foundations belonging to the Uighurs have been discovered.
Loneliness, need for assistance, and vulnerability, which have been inherent aspects of human life since its earliest existence, have persisted throughout history. Consequently, both the individual charitable activities of wealthy individuals and the philanthropic efforts of states to promote social unity and cohesion have been observed. This perspective has given rise to the emergence of charitable organizations, institutions, and communities, collectively referred to as “foundations” throughout history.
The pinnacle of foundation and philanthropic institutions was reached through the teachings of the revealed religions, emphasizing goodness and mutual assistance. While the term “foundation” may not be explicitly mentioned in the Quran, the conceptual framework of foundations and the values that shape their content can be inferred from the text. In particular, the belief and philosophy that Muslims should compete in doing good deeds, acts of charity, and assistance, as well as the paramount importance attached by Islamic thought to social unity and cohesion through the revelation of the Quran, became the fundamental dynamics of Muslim states and societies. The practice of competing for goodness in the name of Allah, as exemplified magnificently through the actions and words of Prophet Muhammad, was considered one of the essential duties of a faithful individual. Numerous verses in the Quran emphasize the obligation of Muslims to assist one another, care for orphans, the poor, and the needy, and engage in acts of charity and almsgiving. Many verses immediately follow the command to pray with the command to give alms (zakat).
In Islamic states, especially under the auspices of rulers and officials in the bureaucracy, foundations were established. Mosques, madrasas (religious schools), hospitals, libraries, guesthouses, public fountains, bathhouses, and bridges were constructed as a result of these philanthropic endeavors. These foundations were established in cities across the Islamic world and represented the contributions of significant individuals.
From the time of Prophet Muhammad onwards, foundations were established to address the needs of people. Although these activities did not follow a specific system or order, plots of land were donated for the construction of mosques, madrasas, infirmaries, and markets. The salaries of those serving in these places were often paid from the public treasury. The oldest surviving foundation document, which relates to the transformation of an agricultural land into a charitable endowment, dates back to the Abbasid period in Egypt.
With the expansion of Islamic conquests and the initiation of political and military activities in new territories, foundations played a vital role in the reconstruction of cities and towns that had been devastated due to wars. Furthermore, foundations were established in newly conquered areas to meet the needs of the population affected by warfare and to address the consequences of battles.
The activities of foundations covered a wide range of areas. Foundations were established for specific purposes, as well as for various forms of assistance. In his writings, the famous traveler Ibn Battuta mentioned several fields of service for foundations, including sending those unable to make the Hajj pilgrimage on their behalf, purchasing dowries for poor girls, liberating captives, providing food and clothing for travelers, facilitating their return to their home countries, organizing streets and sidewalks, and distributing sweets (helva). However, the most commonly established foundations were those created to meet the basic needs of people. As a result, charitable kitchens (aşevleri) for feeding the hungry, lodging for the homeless, and hospitals for the sick and needy were prevalent throughout almost every region of the Turkish-Islamic world.
Following the establishment of foundations for basic needs, mosques and prayer halls were the most frequently established forms of foundations. With a special emphasis on education and learning in Islamic belief, schools (mektepler), madrasas, religious academies (dârülkurrâ and dârülhadis) were also constructed as foundations. All the needs of these institutions were met by the foundations. According to the foundation charters, certain mosques were assigned to host scholars, hadith experts, and lecturers for teaching lessons at the madrasas. The endowment deeds (vakfiyeler) contained the purposes, missions, and service conditions of each foundation.
Foundations provided free meals to students of schools and madrasas, dervishes in monasteries, the poor of the region, and all travelers, regardless of their wealth. It is known that on average 500-1000 people ate in each of the soup kitchens (imaret) attached to the Istanbul complexes. Sources indicate that in the 18th century, more than 30,000 people were provided with daily meals in Istanbul’s soup kitchens. Foundations were established across various regions of the Turkish-Islamic world to help those in need and difficult circumstances without any distinction of race or religion.
Especially in Turkish-Islamic history, numerous foundations were established by rulers and their families. Such initiatives by the rulers reflect the principle of a social state. In fact, in Turkish and Islamic states, rulers competed with each other in charitable activities and the establishment of foundations. The concept of creating foundations, fostering unity and cohesion, and increasing the standard of living were conceived and developed by the Turkish philosopher al-Farabi in his famous work “al-Madina al-Fadila” (The Virtuous City). The establishment and continuity of foundations have been considered by many thinkers as a fundamental attribute of a virtuous state, ruler, and society.
The cities like Mecca, Medina, Damascus, Baghdad, Cairo, Kairouan, Cordoba, Tabriz, Samarkand, Bukhara, Adana, Konya, Bursa, and Istanbul, which are among the most significant examples of our civilization, are products of the foundation civilization. The restoration and development of these cities throughout history were largely achieved through the foundations they housed. Moreover, many roads, bridges, lighthouses, and castles necessary for transportation, resting places, and caravanserais along major trade routes were financed and constructed by foundations.
Foundations had both religious and political dimensions. Especially in newly conquered regions, foundations were established and funded to assimilate the local population, facilitate their acceptance of the Islamic faith, and foster a sense of unity. For instance, during the Crusades, Salahaddin Ayyubi established foundations to pay the ransoms of war prisoners. The Turkification and Islamization of newly conquered regions were expedited through foundation institutions.
In history, the diversity of foundations is quite extensive. Foundations were established to address virtually every need of individuals and all living beings. Especially notable examples of foundations established in our history include the stork foundation established to feed storks, land donations dedicated to creating gardens for people to relax in, fruit foundations to provide fruit to everyone, picnic foundations, wall and street cleaning foundations, marriage foundations for orphan brides, bridge-building foundations, guest hosting foundations, and helva (a type of sweet) distribution foundations. It can be confidently stated that Turkish-Islamic civilization is a foundation-based civilization. Many of the foundations established with an exquisite delicacy and beauty, quite rare in history, were primarily founded by the Seljuks and Ottomans. The obligations imposed by the Islamic religion on Muslims to engage in charitable deeds, philanthropy, and acts of kindness have been embraced by our people, who have strived to establish all kinds of foundations that one can imagine.
Unfortunately, with the establishment of the Imperial Foundations Ministry (Evkâf-ı Hümayun Nezareti) in 1836, our foundations gradually began to disappear from the scene. Although there are successful foundations that operate individually today, the sophisticated and systematic foundations of our history have unfortunately been lost.
Today, both as a state and as a nation, it is evident that we need social welfare, unity, and cohesion. Therefore, it is necessary for us to re-embrace and revitalize the philosophy of our foundations, which are among the founding elements of our civilization.
