imaret
9.9
A public kitchen and hostel that gives free food and shelter to travelers and the poor
- noun
- /ɪˈmɑːrɛt/
- Archaic
:
imaret
- The imaret provided free meals to travelers and local residents every day.
Examples
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Many imarets were built throughout the Ottoman Empire to serve the poor and needy.
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She visited an old imaret in Istanbul to learn about its history.
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The ancient imaret in Istanbul still serves travelers.
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Many imarets were built during the Ottoman Empire.
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Many imarets were built throughout the Ottoman Empire to serve the poor and needy.
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The imaret provided free meals to travelers and local residents every day.
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She visited an old imaret in Istanbul to learn about its history.
How Helpful
Surface Forms
Etymology
Imaret comes from the Turkish imar, from an old Arabic word amara meaning 'to build' or 'to make a place'. In the Ottoman Empire, an imaret was a public building that gave free food and shelter to travelers and the poor, so today it means a public hostel or soup kitchen.