Abstract: This article aims to analyze the administrative structure of the Armenian Church during the Ottoman Empire. The religious-spiritual structure of the Church is outside of the scope of this presentation, as the administrative structure that influenced the religious-spiritual structure of the Church will be analyzed.

The central theme of this article consists of two different institutions. On the one hand, it will cover the Apostolic Armenian Church, Catholic Armenian Church and Protestant Armenian Churches. The second institution will be the Ottoman administrative system of. Until now, this administrative system has been conceptualized in academic research as zımmilik or the millet system. However, I believe this subject will become much clearer if the system is interpreted in two different concepts, namely as the zımmi system before, and the millet system after the Tanzimat era.

This study is comprised of two parts. In the first part we will concentrate on a general overview of the Ottoman administrative system of non-Muslims. In the second part the administrative structure of the Armenian Church will be explored.

Consequently, the non-Muslims of the Ottoman Empire have been evaluated according to Islamic zımmi law and were freely allowed to maintain their positions in conquered regions. But granting demands and obviating malfunctions paralysed the system. Together with the profound political and legal changes of the Tanzimat era, the administrative system of non-Muslims was also altered.