Άλλες Ονομασίες Estiai (Hestiai), Chora ton Asomaton (Land of the Bodiless), Michaelion, Anaplous. Γεωγραφική Θέση Bosporus. Ιστορική Περιοχή Bosporus

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1 Περίληψη : District of Bosporus, which people started referring to as Arnavutköy after the Fall of Constantinople and the translocation there of Albanians during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II. From the mid-19 th century, the name Mega Revma (Great Stream) prevails. In the 17 th century, Mega Revma was inhabited by Greeks, Jews and a few Muslims. A century later, Armenians also moved to the settlement. Post 1940 the number of Orthodox residents rapidly decreased. Άλλες Ονομασίες Estiai (Hestiai), Chora ton Asomaton (Land of the Bodiless), Michaelion, Anaplous Γεωγραφική Θέση Bosporus Ιστορική Περιοχή Bosporus Διοικητική Υπαγωγή Constantinople 1. Location Name The most popular name of the settlement during Antiquity was Hestiai, deriving either from a local temple dedicated to Hestia (Greek Goddess of Hearth and Home) or from the lime kilns operating in the area. During the Byzantine period, the district was known as Chora ton Asomaton (Land of the Bodiless) or Michaelion, because of a local church dedicated to Archangel Michael. The name Anaplous is also attributed to the area. After the Fall of Constantinople around the middle of the 15 th century, people started referring to the district as Arnavutköy, meaning Albanian village, because of the translocation of Albanians there during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, after his victory over the army of Skanderbeg. From the mid-19 th century, the name Mega Revma (Great Stream) began to prevail, a name originating from the stream, also known as Devilstream, which descends from the Black Sea and changes direction at this particular area of Bosporus. 1 Scarlatus Byzantius describes the Mega Revma district as follows: If nature designated certain select places for residence, few of them in the world may contest precedence of the Mega Revma Cape. Because, aside of its other advantages, which this cape shares with the other areas of Bosporus, its view is unparalleled; by the shore one can see before one s eyes all the small boats sailing Bosporus or being tugged; one can also enjoy the view from the opposite Asian shore, which is some 5 minutes away, all the beauty of the green hills of Kandylli and Vanli, and, during those calm and enchanting nights of May we hear nightingales singing from both shores, alternating in producing melodies, like musicians contesting on a theatre stage Population of Arnavutköy before the 19th century According to Evliya Çelebi, there were 1,000 households belonging to Greeks and Jews in Mega Revma during the 17 th century. Muslim presence was scarce in the area, hence the absence of mosques. According to the same writer, the majority of Greeks inhabiting the area were Lazoi, meaning Pontic Greecs, 3 which is also mentioned by Scarlatus Byzantius, who refers to a Lazoi settlement. 4 Most of the Jews deserted the area after a great fire in 1887 and moved to Neochori (Yeniköy). Some time after that, Muslims started settling in Arnavutköy as well. 5 From the 18 th century onwards, Armenians also reside in the area, most of them being gemenetzides, i.e. makers of a certain type of shoe with one sole. 6 As mentioned before, the Conqueror translocated Albanians from Epirus (Arvanites or Arnauts) in the deserted village, as part of the Δημιουργήθηκε στις 28/9/2017 Σελίδα 1/5

2 forced deportations to repopulate Constantinople. Orthodox in religion, the Arnauts assimilated in the Greek community and later on blended with Greeks from the Aegean islands and Eastern Thrace. According to Gennadius, a substantial part of Greeks of Mega Revma originated from Aegean islands (such as Paros, Skiathos, Naxos, Andros, Tinos) and especially from Chios. Many hailed from Epirus, while some residents came from Thrace and the coast of the Sea of Marmara (Propontis) Foreign presence and financial support to the Orthodox community Mega Revma was closely attached to the princes of Moldavia and Wallachia either directly or through the agency of kehagia kapı (representatives) they employed in the Grande Porte. The princes provided financial support to the Church and the communal schools. An important reason why Phanariots, Patriarchs and clergymen chose Mega Revma as their residential area was in order to protect themselves from cholera and the plague. 8 So, from the mid-18 th century, new residents appear, the vacationers. Overpopulation, lack of hygiene and the plague epidemics made the air within the walls of Constantinople suffocating during the summer months. Consequently, Foreign ambassadors, Phanariots (such as the Ypsilantis, Mousouros, Mavrokordatos, Karatheodoris, Soutsos and Mavrogenis families), Turkish pashas, Armenian and Jewish merchants built country houses on the Bosporus shores, where they brought their luxurious way of living and refined tastes. Attachment to Moldavia and Wallachia also attracted members of the Society of Friends (Filiki Etaireia). However, the events of 1821, the incidents in the Danubian Principalities and, following, the Greek Revolution, forced many notable Greeks to flee abroad. 4. Mega Revma from the 19th to the 20th century 4.1. Transportation Professions Until the middle of the 19 th century, the connection between Mega Revma and Constantinople was achieved only through boats and coaches. However, when regular maritime itineraries were introduced, Mega Revma was connected to Constantinople. Consequently, with the arrival of the steamboat and the institution of regular services, the area became incorporated to the urban plexus and evolved into a suburb. Much later, Mega Revma was linked to the centre of Constantinople through the Eminönü/Bebekstreet-car line. 9 Locals in Mega Revma mainly occupied themselves with viniculture and fishing. From the early 19 th century, the cultivation of strawberries gradually replaced vineyards. The introduction of strawberries is attributed to the Ypsilantis famiy, which was tied to Mega Revma in many ways. 10 The variety called ottoman strawberry was quite celebrated. The strawberry production in Mega Revma continued until the 1960s Population Until the mid-19 th century, Muslims do not comprise a significant part of the village s population. The first mosque of the area was only constructed in1832, possibly to meet the needs of the also newly-founded police department. 12 According to Salname (Yearbook) data from ,973 Greeks, 493 Muslims, 342 Armenians, 32 Jews and 642 foreign nationals inhabited Mega Revma. 13 Gennadius records that, while in the beginning of the 1920s the number of Greek residents exceeded 6,000, only half remained by the end of the 1940s. 14 According to the patriarchal census of 1949, the Greek orthodox community of Mega Revma comprised of 567 families Education Societies According to Gennadius of Heliopolis, the oldest record in communal archives with regard to schools dates back to In the school of common letters students were taught reading from scared texts and some writing. Until 1797, when the school building Δημιουργήθηκε στις 28/9/2017 Σελίδα 2/5

3 was constructed, no separate place for schooling existed. 16 In the 1830s a monitorial school was founded in Mega Revma, which replaced the school of common letters. 17 In the 1860s, a Greek school (later renamed urban school), a monitorial school and an all-girls school operated in Mega Revma. 18 In 1902 a school building was constructed next to the church, which was exclusively used as an all-boys school until the population exchange. The communal all-girls school was housed in another building. After the population exchange, the all-boys school building was used as a mixed school for both boys and girls. 19 According to Gennadius the number of students before the exchange reached According to data provided by Christophoros Chrestides, in 1955 the Mega Revma community, besides the six-grade elementary school and school soup-kitchen, also operated an educational association and a charitable society. 21 The Greek community of Mega Revma declined, as did all the other Greek communities of Constantinople, especially after the mass flight of population post So, while during the academic year 197 students were enrolled in the communal school, in the number had diminished to just 8. In 1880, the Charitable Society of Mega Revma was founded, members of which were both women and men, aiming to provide financial support to the more indigent people in the area Church and holy water sources Towards the end of the 19 th century, the imposing church dedicated to the Taxiarchs (Archangels Michael and Gabriel) was built, the largest church in the Bosporus area. Two significant holy water springs are located in the area: Prophitis Elias (Prophet Elijah) on the top of the hill 23 and the Hagia Kyriaki (St. Kyriaki) one, which named the whole Hagia Kyriaki district. The Armenian scholar Eremya Çelebi Kömürciyan in his work on Constantinople praises the picturesque geographical location of theholy water spring (hagiasma): Ascending the village road between two hills, we reached the hagiasma of Prophitis Elias. Taste it, it s the water of life. Let us rest in the shadow cast by the trees of this beautiful countryside location among the gardens, the kaleyards and the vineyards. How lovely would it be to live here. 24 The Prophitis Elias holy water fountain dates back to the Byzantine period. 25 On the feast of Prophitis Elias on July 20 th, a multitude of pilgrims flocked from Constantinople and its suburbs. Consequently, both the holy water spring and the chapel of Prophitis Elias (built in 1871) constituted a significant source of income for the community Γεννάδιος Ηλιουπόλεως, Ιστορί α του Μεγάλου Ρεύ ματος (Σταμπού λ 1949), pp. 4-9; Παπαστράτης, Θ., Γειτονιέ ς του Βοσπόρου (Αθή να 2003), pp ; Koçu, R. E., İstanbul Ansiklopedisi 2 (İstanbul ), pp Βυζάντιος, Σ., Η Κωνσταντινού πολις. Περιγραφή Τοπογραφική, Αρχαιολογική και Ιστορική (Αθή να 1862), p Evliya Çelebi, Evliya Çelebi Seyahatnamesi 1-2 (İstanbul 1975), p Βυζάντιος, Σ., Η Κωνσταντινού πολις. Περιγραφή Τοπογραφική, Αρχαιολογική και Ιστορική (Αθή να 1862), p Παπαστράτης, Θ., Γειτονιέ ς του Βοσπόρου (Αθή να 2003), p Παπαστράτης, Θ., Γειτονιέ ς του Βοσπόρου (Αθή να 2003), p Γεννάδιος Ηλιουπόλεως, Ιστορί α του Μεγάλου Ρεύ ματος (Σταμπού λ 1949), p Γεννάδιος Ηλιουπόλεως, Ιστορί α του Μεγάλου Ρεύ ματος (Σταμπού λ 1949), p Δημιουργήθηκε στις 28/9/2017 Σελίδα 3/5

4 9. Türker, O., Mega Revma dan Arnavutköy e Bir Boğaziçi Hikâyesi (İstanbul 1999), pp Γεννάδιος Ηλιουπόλεως, Ιστορί α του Μεγάλου Ρεύ ματος (Σταμπού λ 1949), p Türker, O., Mega Revma dan Arnavutköy e Bir Boğaziçi Hikâyesi (İstanbul 1999), p. 23; Belge, M., İstanbul Gezi Rehberi (İstanbul 2007), pp Koçu, R. E., İstanbul Ansiklopedisi 2 (İstanbul ), pp Koçu, R. E., İstanbul Ansiklopedisi 2 (İstanbul ), p ; Παπαστράτης, Θ., Γειτονιέ ς του Βοσπόρου (Αθή να 2003), p Γεννάδιος Ηλιουπόλεως, Ιστορί α του Μεγάλου Ρεύ ματος (Σταμπού λ 1949), p Σταματόπουλος, Κ. Μ., Η τελευταί α αναλαμπή. Η κωνσταντινουπολί τικη ρωμηοσύ νη στα χρόνια (Αθή να 1996), pp Γεννάδιος Ηλιουπόλεως, Ιστορί α του Μεγάλου Ρεύ ματος (Σταμπού λ 1949), pp Γεννάδιος Ηλιουπόλεως, Ιστορί α του Μεγάλου Ρεύ ματος (Σταμπού λ 1949), p Γεννάδιος Ηλιουπόλεως, Ιστορί α του Μεγάλου Ρεύ ματος (Σταμπού λ 1949), p Γεννάδιος Ηλιουπόλεως, Ιστορί α του Μεγάλου Ρεύ ματος (Σταμπού λ 1949), p Γεννάδιος Ηλιουπόλεως, Ιστορί α του Μεγάλου Ρεύ ματος (Σταμπού λ 1949), p Χρηστί δης, Χ., Τα Σεπτεμβριανά (Αθή να 2000), p Μαμώνη, Κ. Ιστικοπού λου, Λ., Γυναικεί οι Σύ λλογοι στην Κωνσταντινού πολη ( ) (Αθή να 2002), p Βυζάντιος, Σ., Η Κωνσταντινού πολις. Περιγραφή Τοπογραφική, 24. Κιομουρτζιάν, Ι. Τ., Οδοιπορικό στην Πόλη του 1680, μτφρ. Σού λα Μπόζη (Αθή να 1992), p The hagiasma of Prophitis Elias is ancient and possibly Byzantine. It was, consequently, a profitable one, whose revenue was collected either by the Patriarchate itself or by some official appointed by the Patriarchate, whose appointment was connected to such benefice. Γεννάδιος Ηλιουπόλεως, Ιστορί α του Μεγάλου Ρεύ ματος (Σταμπού λ 1949), p Γεννάδιος Ηλιουπόλεως, Ιστορί α του Μεγάλου Ρεύ ματος (Σταμπού λ 1949), pp Βιβλιογραφία : Σταματόπουλος Κ.Μ., Η τελευταία αναλαμπή. Η κωνσταντινουπολίτικη ρωμηοσύνη στα χρόνια , Αθήνα 1996 Μαμώνη Κ., Ιστικοπούλου Λ., Γυναικείοι σύλλογοι στην Κωνσταντινούπολη ( ), Αθήνα 2002 Χρηστίδης Χ., Τα Σεπτεμβριανά, Κέντρο Μικρασιατικών Σπουδών, Αθήνα 2000 Δημιουργήθηκε στις 28/9/2017 Σελίδα 4/5

5 Βυζάντιος Σ., Η Κωνσταντινούπολις. Περιγραφή Τοπογραφική, Αρχαιολογική και Ιστορική, Β, Ανδρέας Κορομηλάς, Αθήναι 1862 Belge M., İstanbul Gezi Rehberi, İstanbul 2007 Çelebi E., Evliya Çelebi Seyahatnamesi, 1-2, Neşriyat, Ü. (ed.), İstanbul 1975 Koçu Reşad Ekrem, İstanbul Ansiklopedisi, vol. Β, İstanbul Ansiklopedisi ve Neşriyat, İstanbul 1959 Κιομουρτζιάν Ι.Τ., Οδοιπορικό στην Πόλη του 1680, Αθήνα 1992, Μπόζη, Σ. (μτφρ.) Γεννάδιος, μητρ. Ηλιουπόλεως, Ιστορία του Μεγάλου Ρεύματος, Σταμπούλ 1949 Παπαστράτης Θ.Ο., Γειτονιές του Βοσπόρου, Αθήνα 2003 Türker Ο., Mega Revma dan Arnavutköy e Bir Boğaziçi Hikâyesi, İstanbul 1999 Δικτυογραφία : İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi ΜΕΓΑ ΡΕΥΜΑ Οικουμενικόν Πατριαρχείον ΡΩΜΑΙΙΚΕΣ ΚΟΙΝΟΤΗΤΕΣ Δημιουργήθηκε στις 28/9/2017 Σελίδα 5/5