7 minute read
Two Nations, One City : Istanbul
Three Empires, One Capital
by İsmail Mert
More than 25 million people visit Istanbul every year, the only transcontinental city in the world, spread across Europe and Asia. Different cultures contributed to the formation of this city, which was the capital of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Let’s look at Istanbul’s Greek architectural and cultural heritage.
Istanbul has been under the influence of different civilizations throughout its history therefore has a rich urban history. The origins of Istanbul go back to ancient times, and it was founded as a Greek colony, Byzantion, during this period. Later, during the Roman Empire, it gained importance as the capital. Symbolic structures such as Valens aqueduct, Çemberlitaş Column and Basilica Cistern, which are still standing, were built during this period. Istanbul, as the capital of the Byzantine Empire, developed rapidly and became an important center. The city was decorated with large and impressive structures and exhibited examples of Byzantine architecture. Hagia Sophia, the Great Palace, the Hippodrome and many churches are among the important structures that have survived from this period. With the conquest of Istanbul by the Ottoman Empire, the city entered a new era. The Ottoman Empire declared Istanbul as the capital and enriched the city with its own cultural heritage. Ottoman architecture was influenced by Byzantine architecture and many mosques, palaces, fountains, and baths were built in Istanbul. Buildings such as Süleymaniye Mosque, Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace are among the most important examples of Ottoman architecture. Architectural interaction in the Ottoman period led Byzantine architecture to shape Ottoman architecture. The transformation of Hagia Sophia is one of the most important indicators of this interaction. Some features of Hagia Sophia, although bearing traces of the Byzantine period, have also changed under the influence of Ottoman architecture. This is an example that highlights the architectural richness of Istanbul and its connection to its past. Other Ottoman architects, especially Mimar Sinan (1480-1579), studied Byzantine architecture closely, and even restored Byzantine heritage buildings such as Hagia Sophia to ensure that they survived.
Greek Architects
The Greek architectural and cultural heritage in Istanbul is remarkable. The Greeks lived in Istanbul for a long time and contributed deeply to the city. Greek churches, monasteries, schools, and other historical buildings occupy an important place in Istanbul’s silhouette. Fener and Balat districts are the regions where the Greek heritage is concentrated. It is one of the few non-Muslim neighborhoods in the Istanbul old town area. In the 1940s Jewish emigrated to Israel, while in 1964 Turkish government expelled 12000 Greeks, during a period of ethnic tension between the two countries. Thus, with the departure of Jews and Greeks living in Fener district, immigrants from rural areas of Turkey settled in Fener. The 2-3 storey houses with bay windows, that give the neighborhood its character, offer a unique atmosphere to the visitors. After the conquest of Istanbul, a Greek school was established in Fener with the permission of Mehmet II. In 1880, a magnificent school building, like a castle, was built with red bricks brought from Marseille.
Located on a hill overlooking Istanbul, this school opens its doors to Istanbulites every year at Christmas. The district of Beyoğlu, where the spirit of Istanbul lives, was formed by Greeks, Armenians, Jews, and European nations who moved from the old town region to Galata, a former Genoese colony on the other side of the Golden Horn, and to the Pera region above it, after the conquest of Istanbul. Today, with its European apartments, magnificent churches, arcades, theaters, old schools, nightclubs and bars, Istanbul has become the most vibrant and symbolic place of urban life.
The Greek cultural heritage of Beyoğlu, or Pera as it was formerly known, cannot be denied. An important part of the historical apartments that give Beyoğlu its identity was built by Greek architects. Indeed, the profession of architecture was not popular among the Turks from 1839, when the Ottoman Empire began to westernize, until the 1913 Balkan Wars. Most architects who graduated from the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts were Ottoman citizens of Greek origin. Konstandinos Dimadis, the architect of the Fener Greek High School that I mentioned before, is an important Ottoman Greek who graduated from this school.
Çiçek Passage, which is famous for its taverns on Istiklal Street, was built in 1876 by the architect Kleanthis Zannos. The Bristol Hotel, which was built for the passengers of the Orient Express stretching from Paris to Istanbul, was designed in 1896 by the Greek Architect Ahilleas Manussos. The building, which changed hands constantly from 1955 to 2004, said hello to the culture and art life of Istanbul as Pera Museum in 2004.
It hosts impressive exhibitions within the scope of the Istanbul Biennial every year. The most striking structure of Taksim Square, the Hagia Triada Church, designed by Architect Vasilakis Ionnidis, was opened in 1880. From 1880 until 2017, it has been the only place of worship in Taksim Square, which is considered the heart of Istanbul and the showcase of Turkey for 137 years. Built in the Neo Gothic style and inspired by Hagia Sophia in the interior, the church has the largest Greek Orthodox community in Istanbul. It also had great symbolic significance. From 1453 to 1839, non-Muslims were forbidden to build domed places of worship. With the beginning of the westernization movements in the Ottoman Empire and the Tanzimat Edict, this ban was lifted and Hagia Triada is one of the first churches with a dome and large-scale construction.
Tatavla Carnival
A part of Istanbul’s cultural mosaic is the Tatavla (Baklahorani) Carnival. Tatavla was a homogeneous neighborhood in the north of Taksim, where middle-lower class Greek workers lived. Starting from 1923, the Greeks from Tatavla gradually migrated to other countries, and today there are still a small number of Greek and Armenian communities. It suffered a great fire in 1934 and its name was changed to Kurtuluş. Baklahorani Carnival, which continued until 1941, was identified with the Tatavla district and became a part of the district. So, what is this Tatavla (Baklahorani) carnival? To celebrate Clean Monday (Kathara Deftera) 50 days before Easter, all the Greeks of Istanbul came together, and various events were organized. According to Hüseyin Irmak (2017), people had fun on the streets for days; maybe it is a street carnival in which everyone wears masks to eliminate the social status difference, different mise-enscene groups from each neighborhood perform theatrical performances with different costumes according to the topic they choose, and musicians accompany the richly accessorized marching arms.
In 1941, the carnival was canceled with the prohibition of all open-air shows under the conditions of World War II, and in the following years, it was not celebrated due to the decreasing Greek population. After Istanbul became the European Capital of Culture in 2010, after 69 years, it started to be celebrated by Greeks, Armenians, and Turks from Istanbul, which is an urban culture rather than a religious carnival, with an attempt to revive it by some foundations and Tatavla residents, but it was canceled in 2020 due to the Corona Pandemic. Carnival was not held in the following years.
Istanbul, not Constantinople
With the rising nationalism after the French Revolution, the demographic structure of the Eurasian continent changed tragically. In every city of Anatolia, there is an abandoned church, a tombstone, or a place name in Greek or Armenian, just as there is an abandoned mosque, tombstone, or Turkish place name in the Balkans. Some words that we are not aware of, especially in everyday speech, belong to the language of our grandfathers’ former neighbors. In this context, when we consider Istanbul, we witness this change. The Greeks have an important place in the formation of the urban culture of Istanbul, this culture has been continued by the Turkish middle class and the bourgeoisie. In addition, the Greeks made a great contribution to the formation of Istanbul’s cultural and artistic life, and the first opera and ballet stages were played by Greek ensembles in the 1850s. In summary, although the Greek population of Istanbul is around 1 per thousand, they have left a great mark on the city culture.
