Slaves and Female Slaves in Ottoman Society, Sofia 1550-1684

Slaves are people who do not have their freedom and are under ruling and possession of others. While men were called as slave, women were called as female slave. It is possible to encounter slaves and female slaves, who were commodity and subject of legal transactions, in Sofia during Ottoman period. This study involves information regarding slaves and female slaves based on Ser'iyye (Court) Records in Sophia. Matters such as ethnicity of slaves and female slaves, status of their masters, manumissio ways, right claims in kadi (muslim judge) court are explained within the framework of Islamic law.