Ottoman units of measurement

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The list of traditional Turkish units of measurement, a.k.a. Ottoman units of measurement, is given below.

Contents

History

The Ottoman Empire (12991923), the predecessor of modern Turkey was one of the 17 signatories of the Metre Convention in 1875. For 58 years both the international and the traditional units were in use, but after the proclamation of the Turkish Republic, the traditional units became obsolete. In 1931 by Act No. 1782, international units became compulsory and the traditional units were banned from use starting 1 January 1933. [1]

List of units

Length

Local nameIn EnglishEquivalenceIn modern units [2]
noktaنقطهpoint0.219 mm (0.0086 in)
hatخط‎line12 nokta2.63 mm (0.104 in)
parmakپرمقfinger12 hat31.57 mm (1.243 in)
kerrab or kirab42.5 mm (1.67 in)
rubu or urup2 kerrab85 mm (3.3 in)
ayak or kadem آیاقfoot12 parmak378.87 mm (1.2430 ft)
endaze ell 650 mm (2.13 ft)
arşın آرشين or آرشونell68 cm (2.23 ft)
ziraiagricultural/yard2 ayak757.74 mm (2.4860 ft)
kulaç fathom 1.8288 m (6.000 ft)
berid or menzilبريد or منزلrange600 ayak227 m (745 ft)
eski milnautical mile5,000 ayak1,894.35 m (1.02287 nmi)
fersah فرسخ league 3 eski mil5,685 m (3.532 mi)
merhale مرحلةstage, phase200 berid45.48 km (28.26 mi)

Area

Local nameIn EnglishIn modern units
eski dönümاسكی دونومold dunam 919 m2 (9,890 sq ft)
büyük dönümبیوك دونومbig dunam2,720 m2 (29,300 sq ft)

Volume

Local nameIn EnglishEquivalenceIn modern units
şinik peck 9.25 L (2.44 US gal)
kile (Istanbul)كيله‎ bushel 4 şinik37 L (9.8 US gal)

Weight

Local nameIn EnglishEquivalenceIn modern units
kıratقيراط carat 0.2004 g (1.002 carats) [lower-alpha 1]
dirhemدرهم(Turkish) dram16 kırat3.207 g (0.1131 oz)
okka اوقهoka400 dirhem1.282 kg (2.83 lb)
miskalمثقال1.5 dirhem4.25 g (0.150 oz)
batman بطمان6 okka7.697 kg (16.97 lb)
kantarقنطارweighbridge56.449 kg (124.45 lb)
çekiچكی4 kantar225.789 kg (497.78 lb)

Volumetric flow

Local nameIn modern units
hilalهلال0.6526 L/min [3]
çuvaldız1.125 L/min
masura4.5 L/min
kamışقامش9 L/min
lüleلوله36 L/min [4]

Time

The traditional calendar of the Ottoman Empire was, like in most Muslim countries, the Islamic calendar. Its era begins from the Hijra in 622 CE and each year is calculated using the 12 Arabian lunar months, approximately eleven days shorter than a Gregorian solar year. In 1839, however, a second calendar was put in use for official matters. The new calendar, which was called the Rumi also began by 622, but with an annual duration equal to a solar year after 1840. In modern Turkey, the Gregorian calendar was adopted as the legal calendar, beginning by the end of 1925. But the Islamic calendar is still used when discussing dates in an Islamic context.

See also

Notes

  1. In this and following weight units, kg and g mean technically kg-weight or g-weight.

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References

  1. Türkiye’nin 75 yılı, Tempo yayınları, Istanbul, 1998, p. 53
  2. Fethi Yücel: Pratik Matematik, Türkiye İş Bankası Kültür yayınları, Ankara, 1963, p.15
  3. "Facts On File History Database Center". www.fofweb.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  4. Zeus. "Nedir - Osmanlı Ölçüleri". toplumdusmani.net. Retrieved 22 January 2015.