THE COMMERCIAL HARBOUR OF BOTH
THE BYZANTINES AND THE OTTOMANS: GALATA AND ITS ENVIRONS
FROM KARAKOY TO BEYOGLU
Over the years, earthquakes
and fires devastated parts of Istanbul, yet each time the city was born again
out of its ashes as if it were the mythical Phonenix. Perhaps the most often
devastated and rejuvenated parts of Istanbul are Galata and Beyoglu.
Galata, or Karakoy as it is
called today, is in the shape of a peninsula surrounded by the Istanbul Strait
and the Golden Horn which, throughout history, has been the commercial port of
Istanbul.
During the Byzantine and Ottoman periods it maintained its importance
as the most important harbor of theregion and a centre of commercial
activities. The districts are famous for its tower and the Genoese colony that
settled there maintained commercial links with Europe during the Byzantine
Period. Later, Iranians, Egyptians origin marketed their wares from the
warehouses there, and distributed them to other parts of Istanbul.
As Galata maintained its
commercial importance during the Ottoman Period, many warehouses were built in
the district. The first embassies to the Ottoman Empire were settled in the
same area and it was also an entertainment center with its several drinking dens.
At the end of the 19th century, the first banks of the Ottoman
Empire were also clustered here and consequently Galata became the financial
centre and heart of the stock exchange. Its importance continued until the
first years of the 21st century, though with the relocation of
importance finance houses to Levent and Maslak districts, Galata finally lost
its financial importance.
One of the most interesting
aspects of Karakoy is that you can see the beauty of historical peninsula from
a different perspective across the estuary. When you are at Sultahnahmet, the
other shore may not seem to so interesting. However, once you are at the
Karakoy, the vista of the historical peninsula is majestic. Especially during
the sunset, the reddish sky contrasting with the darkening silhouette of
Sultanahmet , Ayasofya and Topkapo Palace offers the visitors a new horizon
where the Ottoman royal mosques, built on top of the hills of Istanbul with
their characteristic domes and minarets , are at their best in this romantic of
settings.
Nowadays 2 bridges, Galata
Bridge and Ataturk Bridge, connect the historical peninsula and Galata. In the
past, the Renaissance Master Leornardo Da Vinci prepared designs to build a
bridge over the Golden Horn. The great artist wrote a letter to Sultan Bayezid
II and mentioned his intentions about the bridge, but most probably was never
given a chance to put his intentions into practice.
The Jewish community that
settled in various areas of Istanbul and built places of worship there had a history
exceeding half a millennium. The Zulfaris Synagogue, situated in Percemli
Street across the Galata Bridge,has recently inaugurated the Quincentennial
Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews here.The museum exhibits various documents ,
garments and artefacts commemorating the historical experiences of Jews settled
in Turkey and specially in Istanbul. The Monument of Rising Fires erected in
front of the museum commemorates in Turkish Jews who lost their lives in
several wars including the Dardanelles Battle and the War of Liberation.
Another highly recommended
visit is to the YERALTI ( underground ) Mosque which is situated at Kemankes
Street.The Golden Horn was very important for the Byzantine since during
attacks on the city it blocked entry to enemy vessels by means of heavy chains
attached to the fortresses situated at Galata and Sarayburnu shores.
As the sea
walls along the Golden Horn were comparatively less strong, an attack from the
Golden Horn could easily have led to the fall of Istanbul. The YERALTI CAMISI (underground
Mosque) is situated in the dungeon where the chain used to be connected at the
Galata end. Nowadays access to this building is by the staircase. It had been
used as an arsenal until 1756, when a mosque was built at the site because of the
belief that the graves inside were of religiously significant people.
Beyooglu’s relationship with
Galata port has never ceased. However, as there is a steep incline to climb,
first stairs were built and in 1876 a tunnel was constructed between Karakoy and
Beyoglu to operate as a set of funicular trains.
That tunnel is still
operational as one of the shortest and oldest metro lines of the world. For
those brave enough to climb from Galata to Beyoglu without using the metro the
first assistance comes in the shape of the Kamondo Stairs. The Kamondo family
was one of the richest families of 19th century Istanbul and they
were the benefactors of many public buildings including these famous stairs. As
it was designed as a pair of staircases meeting at landings and curving apart
for a while until the next landing, it is also known as the stairs of love.
Another important feature of
Karakoy is the traces of the Genoese community which as a very important place
in the history of Istanbul. Naturally, the most important of them all is Galata
Kulesi ( Galata Tower). The tower that can be seen from various parts of
Istanbul has been a symbol of Galata. It is a legacy of the Genoese colony that
maintained commercial links between the Byzantines and Ottomans with the European
countries.
It was originally built in 1348 as a tower of the walls surrounding
Galata and used sometimes as a warehouse and sometimes as a prison by the
Ottomans; It is still intact today. Galata used to be famous for its frequent
fires, so for a while the tower was used as a fire lookout tower. If you pay a
small fee you can climb to the observation platform where the Genoese used to
look out for their approaching commercial ships as well as for enemies. From
here, you have a commanding view over Istanbul from Prince Islands in the sea
of Marmara , to the Istanbul Strait and Golden Horn.
