Ordu Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Sosyal Bilimler Araştırmaları Dergisi

Öz

In parallel with developments in social life increasing religious and administrative needs in the Ottoman era
required the establishment of a separate fatwa office within the authority of Shayk al-Islam. Due to such reasons as
living in a relatively small country, having simple social lives and few administrative duties, the first Shayk al-Islams
had given immediate answers to the questions in written or verbal forms, but over time, the questions and problems
of the public and the administration related to religious issues and their demands for fatwas increased accordingly.
In this context, the oldest building that we know was used as a fatwa office is the building that was allocated to the
Mufti of Istanbul after the closure of the Shayk al-Islam unit in 1924 and was exposed to fire several times throughout
the history, but has survived to the present day. It is known that this building, from the very beginning, was built and
used as a fatwa office. An example of the fatwa offices emerged as an important institution in the Ottoman social,
cultural and religious lives has reached the present day in Ünye district of Ordu. In this study, an evaluation will be
made on the emergence, development and architectural texture of the fatwa offices in the context of Unye Fatwa
Office (Fetvâhâne).