The imaret ( ʿimāret ) was one of a number of charitable institutions associated with food and/or shelter that took on specific forms and functions in the Ottoman world. In Ottoman Turkish, imaret , from the Arabic word ʿimāra , meaning habitation or building, designated both a large public kitchen and the building complexes in which these kitchens were found. Understanding the etymology and usage of the term is complicated by its changing use in both Arabic and Ottoman Turkish. The Arabic form of imaret (ʿimāra ) appears on a number of seemingly unrelated