The shaping of a sacred space: The tekke of Zühuri Şeyh Ahmet Efendi in eighteenth-century Salonica

The sicil, the archives of the kadi, of eighteenth-century Ottoman Salonica preserves about a dozen endowment deeds established by affluent Muslim Salonicans in favour of a new Sufi lodge (tekke), originally established by Zühuri Şeyh Ahmet Efendi in the city. These documents enable us to follow the shaping of a new sacred space in Salonica that became, for a limited period, a focal point for charitable activity during the middle of the eighteenth century. These endowment deeds likewise enable us to explore the interaction between the tekke and the community it served. By discussing the connections between the local saint, his tekke and the surrounding community, this article explores contemporary perceptions of charity, attitudes towards the deserving 'poor' and the negotiation of legitimacy through providing charity.