Greeks in Mustafapaşa Before the Population Exchange
Non-Muslim citizens living under the Ottoman Empire’s administration, in the process arising from the political environment that began in the 18th century, created many civil and architectural works along with the rights and freedoms they possessed. Especially starting from the 19th century, construction activities intensified in various centers of Anatolia, primarily in Istanbul, by Greek and Armenian populations. In this process, it is seen that the Greeks in Mustafapaşa played a very important role among the Orthodox Greeks and built valuable architectural works. The fact that many of these works have survived intact to this day is the best indicator that the atmosphere of tolerance that existed in the Ottoman Empire continued in the Republic of Turkey.
Mustafapaşa, which differed from the surrounding settlements in many respects, reached a privileged position in the last period of the Ottoman Empire, especially starting from the 19th century. At the end of the 19th century, the town, whose population was largely Greek, experienced its most brilliant period in terms of culture, architecture, and art history during the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. Its close relations with Istanbul, the capital of that era, directly affected the town. Due to factors such as transportation difficulties and high taxes, agriculture was not very suitable in the region, so the Greeks turned to trade and were quite successful in this field. Establishing a semi-nomadic lifestyle, the townspeople, thanks to the guild system, the backbone of the Ottoman trade system, virtually formed a colony in the Yedikule, Samatya, Galata, Kalafatyeri, Balıkpazarı, and Unkapanı districts of Istanbul. The trade in caviar, linseed, and sesame oil, among others, was in the hands of the Mustafapaşa guild. During our research for this project, we came across information that the Greek owner of a mansion, which is now in a dilapidated state and therefore not even of interest to tourists, was a pioneer in the organization of the guild. This mansion, as can be seen in the relevant category, is the Erbil Mansion.
Muslims Before the Population Exchange
Although Mustafapaşa, which constitutes an important concrete example of the multicultural structure of the Ottoman period, was largely formed by Greeks, the Muslims living alongside them were undoubtedly an important part of the village. Balta’s book includes some statements about them as well. In a text quoted from Serafim Rizos’s manuscript No. 429, it is stated that there were about a hundred houses in the Miskin Neighborhood where the Turks, whom he refers to as his fellow villagers, lived. Another important statement here is that the men of the neighborhood were generally master builders, stonemasons, rock carvers, and laborers. It is also stated that they did not have much land, there were very few farmers, and a small number of them went to Istanbul to work as street vendors in the palace of Sultan Hamid. According to the same text, the majority of the remaining Muslim houses, totaling around one hundred and fifty, were located in the Galasa neighborhood, known today as Kalaşa, which consisted of thirty houses. According to information archived at the Center for Asia Minor Studies in Athens and included in Balta’s book, as recounted by someone named Pavlos Yordanidis, the residents of the neighborhood got along very well with the Greeks and worked as sharecroppers in their vineyards and fields. The other houses mentioned in Serafim Rizos’s manuscript were ten in Lulas, which is today’s Davutlu area; nine in Kapalos, which corresponds to today’s Papatya Street and Sümer Street; one in Mezgit, which corresponds to today’s Yukarı Mahalle; and two in what was then known as Yeni Mahalle, corresponding to today’s Dere Sokak.
