The Seljuk Empire introduced the system of charitable foundations that serve people, animals, and the environment in Anatolia after establishing the first one in Erzurum in 1048 A.D. Since the Seljuk period, foundations, which were established with a sense of cooperation and solidarity at their core, stood out as institutions that undertake important services in the Islamic and Turkish world and successfully fulfilled many public duties.

Foundations that also existed throughout the Ottoman Empire operated for centuries and lived their golden age in the Ottoman period. Although they were primarily established to help the sick, the needy and orphans, some of them provided extraordinary and interesting services as well.

According to the endowment documents in the archives of the General Directorate of Foundations, the Ottomans who donated their assets for public service did not forget the brides, orphaned students, members of different religions, villagers, prisoners, captives, shopkeepers, scholars and students. Interesting foundations established by them, such as the picnic foundation, the garden foundation for recreation, the horse foundation, the landscaping foundation and the foundation that provides money for shoes, have catered to people, animals and nature throughout history.

Foundations for different services

One of the foundations, which provided services for the elimination of every problem in society, was established in 1781 in order to protect and look after the vineyards, gardens and animals of the villagers in Macedonia. The Mehmed Efendi Foundation assigned a guard between the villages of Berine and Tersenek, allocating a daily wage to them in return for checking the animals, vineyards and gardens in the morning and evening.

In the deed of Valide Sultan Kethüdası Yusuf Ağa Foundation, it is written that the children from the madrassas in Üsküdar with a large number of students should be taken to picnics in the summer and served rice and zerde dessert, be provided with an allowance of 10 akçe (the chief monetary unit of the Ottoman Empire), 15 kuruş (120 akçes equaled one kuruş) to the teachers and 6 kuruş to their assistants.

The Mustafa Bin Mehmed Foundation used to distribute ink to students in the courtyard of Beyazid Mosque at the end of the 1700s. On Thursdays, a person from the foundation was tasked with giving ink for the student’s dip pen, and in return, he was paid 1 akçe.

In the endowment of a foundation that was established in Istanbul in 1716 by Ismihan Sultan, the daughter of Sultan Murad III, it was stated that 3,600 akçe would be spent annually to offer grapes and watermelons to the students and teachers staying in the madrassa rooms, and 6,000 akçe would be spent for the singing of the Mevlit (mawlid), an epic poem written to commemorate Prophet Muhammad's birth in Mecca, along with cooking and distribution of aşure desserts, Noah's pudding.

Another foundation that offered food to students was the Şerife Fatma Binti Mustafa Foundation. Established in 1815, the foundation provided the students of the hadith school who recite the Quran from the beginning to the end, also called "hatim," in Laylat al-Raghaib, or the "Night of the Rewards," marking the night of the Prophet Muhammad's conception, with casserole and an allowance of 3 kuruş.

Halva for prisoners, fruit for sick

The Niksarlı Hacı Mehmed Foundation, which was established in 1323 in Tokat, distributed halva dessert to prisoners in Laylat al-Raghaib and Mid-Shaban, or the "Night of Forgiveness," when the Quran was made available to the Muslims in its entirety, every year.

The foundation that offered seasonal fruits to hospitalized patients was the Islam Feyzi Efendi Bin Hasan Foundation. In the charter of the foundation, it was written, "Seasonal fruits should be purchased on the first Friday night of every month and distributed to psychiatric patients in the hospital around Nakkaşpaşa."

Foundations distributing coffee, aşure

While the Ashab-ı Hayrat Foundation in Bursa donated 10,000 akçe to take the poor to picnics and serve food every spring, a picnic would be held in the lodge donated by the Sekbanbaşı Mustafa Ağa Foundation in Istanbul. Utensils such as pans, pots, basins, pitchers, pestles, cauldrons and trays were also provided by the foundation for those who came to the picnic.

Established in 1764 in Istanbul, the Emetullah Hanım Foundation included in its deed that the necessary materials be purchased and aşure dessert be distributed to the poor, and coffee offered to the public.

Foundations that care for animals

One of the foundations that had a tower and house for pigeons was the Matbah-ı Amire Emini Halil Ağa Foundation, which was established in 1730. Its founder, Halil Ağa, donated much of his real estate to the foundation.

In the deed of the Reşide Hatice Hanım Foundation, there was a condition that a water well should be dug in a proper place in Istanbul and a stone boat should be built so that animals could drink water from this well.

Defterdar Abdüsselam Çelebi, the founder of a foundation serving in Istanbul, Edirne and Rumeli, stated that people from all walks of life should be allowed by the foundation, and a meal should be cooked for the guests every evening and served with a smiling face.

Trousseau for brides, stipend for soldiers

While the Hamid Çelebi Foundation provided trousseau to brides in need in Istanbul, the Mehmet Hüsrev Pasha Foundation distributed 100 kuruş pocket money to soldiers serving around Eyüp Mosque.

In the deed of the Saliha Hatun Binti Selahaddin Pehlivan Foundation, which was established in Damascus in 1308, there was a condition that a part of the foundation's revenues would be allocated for the release of soldiers captured in European countries, including England, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy, by paying their ransoms. All the needs of the freed prisoners were met by the foundation until their return to their homeland.