Back	The Voyvoda Street Lectures Begin! Who were the money-lenders prior to banks? The Ottoman Bank Museum opens its 2003-2004 season in October, with Prof. Suriya Faroqhi, from the Department of Near Eastern Studies, at Munich Ludwig Maximillans University, speaking at the Economic History Lectures, on the topic "Money-lenders in 18th Century Bursa", on Wednesday, October 1, at 6:30 p.m. Prof. Faroqhi will discuss money-lending and borrowing in 18th century Bursa, at a time when banks and credit issuing institutions were non-existent and credit was mostly left to the initiative of individual money-lenders. She will consider the factors which led to the emergence of a faction solely dedicated to money-lending and examine its status in the Ottoman state. After completing her university studies in Hamburg, Istanbul, and Bloomington/ Indiana, Faroqhi became a faculty member at Middle East Technical University. Among her publications are: Ottoman Towns and Townsmen. Hadjis and Sultans: The Pilgrimage to Mecca in Ottoman Times (1517-1683). Ottoman Culture and Everyday Life: Investigating Ottoman History from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century. Admissions are free. For further information call the Ottoman Bank Museum at (212) 296 76 05.