Tooth Rent: An Ottoman era Iftar tradition

Come Ramadan, Muslims worldwide engage in different community activities, especially during Iftar time. As culture keeps changing with time, many societies tend to lose touch with some of these traditions. Türkiye has undergone a similar transformation with "tooth rent", a tradition that has all but faded from society since the days of the Ottoman Empire.

Remnants of this Ottoman gift-giving tradition can still be found in pockets of Türkiye today. But the ostentation and display of yore is no more. Because iIn olden times, it meant hosting Iftar dinners in mansions and palaces and handing out expensive gifts — silver plates, amber rosaries, precious stones, silver rings and gold coins wrapped in velvet bags.

The host would bid farewell to the members of the Ottoman ruling establishment who participated in these Iftars by saying: "You have been my guest, you have tired your teeth by eating the food I served, so this is your tooth rent."

The custom of tooth rent trickled down to the middle rungs of the Ottoman military and civilian bureaucracy. Low-ranked officers began to consider it their duty to attend the dinner parties of their superiors. At times, such gatherings were free walk-in events, where anyone could enter the venue and eat along with other guests.

In the first 10 days of Ramadan, the Ottoman Sultan would invite viziers and other top-ranking officials to the palace for Iftar. While handing over gifts, the Sultan's attendant would kiss a tray full of velvet bags and then put them on his head to deliver them to the guests. While receiving them, the guests acted similarly.

“Mansion owners actually considered the large number of guests, lavish Iftars, and the type and number of tooth rents given away as a symbol of reputation. Of course, Iftar was a good opportunity for gluttons, who knew how to take advantage of these magnificent iftars. They went knocking on the doors of mansions, some of whose owners they knew, others they didn’t, and they feasted on the most delicious food and drank all kinds of sherbets for a month,” says cultural historian Dursun Gurlek.

Tooth rents were given not only by the sultans but also by viziers. According to historical accounts, Mahmud Pasha, one of the powerful viziers of Fatih Sultan Mehmed, hid gold coins in the rice served at his banquets. Whosoever found these while eating, would become their owners.

At the Iftar banquets hosted by Mahmud Pasha, even those who broke their fast with the Pasha at his table, would take extra servings of the rice with chickpea preparation. Because they all hoped to chew on to a metallic chickpea or two.

Yes, a metallic chickpea. The Pasha had chickpea-shaped gold pieces thrown into the rice as it was cooked in massive cauldrons. Some historians say the viziers pulled these stunts to display the extent of their wealth and generosity to the people close to them.

By the late 18th century, the tooth rent tradition, which was till then largely seen as belonging to the Ottoman elite, had spread across all layers of society. People also gave alms or sadaka in the name of tooth rent, so as to not hurt the dignity of the poor.