Imaret, sometimes also known as a darüzziyafe,[2] is one of several names used to identify the public soup kitchens built throughout the Ottoman Empire from the 14th to the 19th centuries.[3] These public kitchens were often part of a larger complex known as a külliye, which could include hospices, mosques, caravanserais, and colleges. The imarets provided food that was free of charge to specific groups of people and unfortunate individuals.[3] Imarets were not invented by the Ottomans but developed under their rule as highly structured groups of buildings.[4]