Drahoma is a financial contribution made by the bride's side to the groom or the groom's family during marriage, particularly observed in Ottoman Greek and Jewish communities. This tradition was common among Greek, Jewish, and Armenian communities, especially in Greece, Thrace, and the Aegean islands, and was practiced to provide financial security for the marriage and to secure women's economic status through marriage.

Origin and Function of Drahoma

Although the origin of Drahoma can be traced back to Ancient Greek, Byzantine, and Ottoman Greek societies, a similar practice was also observed in Jewish communities. In Judaism, drahoma initially meant the money given by the father for his daughter's dowry, but later it was applied as a financial contribution offered by the bride-to-be's family to the groom. In fact, this tradition replaced the "Mohar" practice in Judaism, which was paid by the groom to acquire the bride.

During the Ottoman period, it became widespread within the Greek community and had significant effects on social status and economic structure. The primary function of drahoma was to financially support the woman and the groom after marriage and to help them establish a new home.

While this practice showed similarities to a dowry, unlike a dowry, it could contain not just property; it could include significant economic values such as direct money, jewelry, real estate, or commercial rights. In some cases, due to the family's economic situation, the preparation of the drahoma could take many years, and some brothers might even have to emigrate to complete their sisters' drahoma.

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Social and Economic Impacts

While drahoma enabled women in the Greek community to gain economic security through marriage, it also led to an increase in the age of marriage and, in some cases, a decrease in population. This was because daughters from families unable to prepare sufficient drahoma might remain unmarried for a long time, or daughters from families offering lower drahoma could find themselves at a disadvantage in marriage.

In Europe from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century, drahoma was used as a means for the bride's family to find a groom of high status. Particularly bourgeois and aristocratic Jewish families offered large drahoma sums to ensure their daughters married men of high social standing.

Legal and Religious Dimension

During the Ottoman period, drahoma was not a legal obligation, but was accepted as a social and economic tradition. While it was a controversial topic within the framework of Church law, the Orthodox Church did not directly support drahoma but acknowledged it as a social reality.

In Greek and Jewish communities, the amount of drahoma in marriage agreements was usually determined in writing. In Judaism, too, drahoma gradually became more of a social and economic practice rather than a religious law. Therefore, the application of drahoma varied among different Jewish communities.

Although in some cases rules such as the return of drahoma to the woman in case of divorce were applied, generally, drahoma was seen as a permanent transfer given to the groom by the woman's family during marriage.

Decline of Drahoma and Its Current Status

From the early 20th century onwards, with economic and social changes, the practice of drahoma gradually diminished and gave way to more egalitarian marriage norms within modern legal systems. Factors such as the decline of the Greek population, urbanization, and women's participation in the workforce led to Drahoma losing its influence. Today, Drahoma is only studied as a historical tradition and has largely been abandoned except for symbolic practices in some rural areas. However, historically, this tradition held an important place as a system aimed at providing economic security for women during the marriage process.