Gift-giving and gift-receiving, as an expressions of suzerainty, patronage
and favor on one hand and gratitude and loyalty on the other hand, were
deeply rooted in Ottoman society. This practice had extraordinary
significance in the relation ruler - army, especially in wartime. At the end
of the 16th century, during the Long War 1593-1606, a shipment of over fifty
different sorts of objects was
... [Show full abstract] sent from Belgrade Treasury to Istanbul to be
distributed to the army after the campaign. The list of the sent items
(military equipment, armory, carpets, fabrics, cushions, kitchenware and
others), which is housed today in the Archive of the Topkapı Sarayı, is one
of the rarely preserved Ottoman documents that originated in Serbia and as
such, it offers a unique insight to material culture of Belgrade and its
surroundings. This paper examines gifts from Belgrade Treasury with the aim
of revealing one fragment of the town daily life and indicating the routes of
international trade that reached to our territory.