19th century Istanbul through old photographs

Small things come in big boxes, they say. How about medium-sized books in elegant boxes? They can certainly be a surprise too. Take the most recent book of old photographs of old Istanbul, "Istanbul Through Old Photographs."

The book comes in a grayish green box with a great photograph of Anadolu Hisarı as it looked many years ago; the book itself has a white cover with the same photo but larger. What catches one’s attention is not just the black and white detail of the fortress; the fortress stands out and the hills behind are virtually empty while the photographer caught a reflection of the scene on the Bosphorus. At the time that the photograph was taken, equipment was not of the quality we know today and to find a time when something of a reflection could be seen on the water makes it all the more special.

The introduction provides the reader with a clear discussion of the importance of the photographs that have remained from the 19th century. Many of the photographers were foreigners from Europe who were attracted to an Istanbul that offered the unknown possibilities of the mysterious and the exotic. Some came and set up shop, usually in the Beyoğlu area near the embassies and foreign shops and restaurants. Towards the end of t he 19th century, even the sultans were interested in photographs and as someone has commented, it was for example the only way for a ruler to see what other parts of his empire looked like.

According to Nezih Başgelen, the owner of Arkeoloji ve Sanat Yayinlari, who authored the book, "Following the invention of photography, very many exponents of the new art visited or settled in Istanbul in search of images of the Orient, and bore witness through their work to the ’grand finale’ days of this mystical capital.

"The earliest series of landscape photographs of Istanbul is believed to have been taken by the French photographer Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey in 1843. Joseph Philibert Girault de Prangey (1804-1892), who was engaged in research on Islamic architecture, took over one thousand photographs during his travels to the Middle East between 1842-1845. These include the earliest known panoramic view of Istanbul taken from Beyazit Seraskerlik ’Ministry of War’ Tower; views of Topkapı Palace and environs, the mosques and fountains of Üsküdar, the Bosphorus yalıs, Fish traps along the Bosphorus and shoreline palaces taken in daguerrotype."

One of the first studios in Beyoğlu

Başgelen continued, "In I850, one of the first local photographic studios was opened by Vasilaki Kargopulo in Beyoğlu, who became quite successful through his photographic portraiture and panoramic views of Istanbul, including a number of important series of views and particularly monuments of Istanbul. He was appointed court photographer by Sultan Abdulhamid II upon the demotion of the Abdullah Brothers in 1878, remaining in that post until his death in 1886."

As for the Abdullah brothers, their very success proved to be their undoing. Their studio opened in 1858 and quickly gained international recognition, especially with their 1860 series concerning the era of Sultan Abdulaziz. Through the photos we today have views of the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn, the Maiden’s Tower, Topkapı and Dolmabahçe palaces and Kadiköy’s yalıs among others. The brothers were awarded the title of "official court artist" by Sultan Abdulaziz but lost their position when they agreed to shoot portrait photographs of Grand Duke Nikolas, the commander of the Russian army on his visit to Yesilköy in 1878 to conclude an armistice with the Ottomans. Later Sultan Abdulhamid II pardoned Vincen Abdullah and reinstated him in 1889 as "imperial chief photographer."

A look at Istanbul through a photographic lense

The idea for this book appealed to Kilsan, a member of the Ekmekçioğlu Group. Established in 1951 in İzmir, the group moved to Istanbul where it is involved in the production of bricks and tiles. It has continually upgraded its capacity and technology and during the past few years, the Group has been investing in projects that reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of production. And now it has moved in a new direction with the publication of "Istanbul Through Old Photographs." The producers of the book see this as a contribution to capturing and preserving the historical heritage of Istanbul in photographs before they disappear.

The photographs are given with an explanation in Turkish and English on the opposite page. The material has been drawn from the collections of Nezih Başgelen, Bahattin Öztuncay, Archaeology and Art Publications Archives, Celsus Picture Library and DAI Photograph Archive. They are of course in black and white. It has a total of 63 pages on high quality paper.

In order to orient the reader, a map of Hasköy, Kasımpasa, Galata, Beyoğlu, Tophane, Dolmabahçe and Beşiktaş as they would have been in the 1920s is reproduced inside the front and back covers. You can clearly make out the different districts that existed at that time and even be astonished at what may seem like an anomaly. For many years in recent times there was a street with a legend attached. It was called Sormagir Ğ Don’t ask, just enter. Why? A famous "madam" lived on the street. But if you look at the front map, you’ll see that this name was applied to an area rather than to a single street. Old maps as well as old photographs can help historians reconstruct the past.

The first part of the book gives a brief history of photography and the most important photographers from the 19th century in particular while the second part is an album with the special photographs that have been reproduced here. Some of these photos have never been reproduced before.

Başgelen wrote in conclusion in reference to "Istanbul Through Old Photographs", "This photograhic album, compiled from selected works of the period, both serves as a reminder of the splendour of Istanbul and of the importance of conserving the surviving historical and natural elements of this city’s unique identity."