Cities of Mecca and Medina, far from paying tribute, received a large annual subsidy at the cost of Egypt.[45] North Africa, conquered by the Corsairs, was brought into the empire by Khaireddin Barbarossa principally for the sake of prestige and support; but, though in its organization it imitated the parent government, it was seldom in close obedience. The regions directly administered were divided into districts, or _sanjaks_, each of which had a separate law or _kanun-nameh_, of taxation, which rested upon terms made at the time of conquest.[46] Parts of the mountain lands of Albania and Kurdistan, and the desert of Arabia, though nominally under direct administration, were in very slight obedience; they retained their ancient tribal organizations, under hereditary chieftains who were invested with Ottoman titles in return for military service, and whose followers might or might not submit to taxation.[47] The remaining _sanjaks_, more closely under control, were yet organized in no simple way. Parcels of land in the great central portion of the Ottoman Empire were in three classes,—the tithe lands (_ersi ’ushriyeh_), the tribute lands (_ersi kharâjiyeh_), and the state lands (_ersi memleket_).[48] The tithe lands had been granted to Mohammedans in fee-simple (_mulk_) at the time of conquest, on condition of paying a relatively small portion (not more than one-tenth) of the produce to the state. The tribute lands had been granted or left to Christians in fee-simple at the time of conquest, on payment of one of two taxes—either a fixed sum for the land itself or a share of the produce—the latter ranging in amount from one-tenth to one-half.[49] The state lands were such as had never been granted in fee-simple, and hence their title remained in the sultan. He received the revenue, however, from only a part of them; for a very large portion had been given to mosques as endowment (_vakf_) for their maintenance and the support of their attendants, or for the benefit of the schools, hospitals, and other buildings attached to them; and another large portion had been granted in fief to Mohammedans, who in return rendered military service on horseback.[50] The comparatively small remainder of the state lands was held as crown domain, administered in a special way by the sultan as owner. The tenants of state lands held title only by lease, or _tapu_, and paid both money and crop rent to the church, the fief-holder, or the crown.[51] All the lands in Europe were regarded as state land,[52] for the Ottomans gave out in fee-simple few lands that were conquered from Christians. Asia Minor was also largely state land; but Syria, Mesopotamia, and Egypt were held under older arrangements, and were mainly tribute lands. Arabia and Bosra were almost wholly tithe lands, as being the oldest Arabian possessions.[53] The fundamental quality of all tribute land was unchangeable;[54] but original tithe