The city of Constantinople sits at the juncture of two continents,
two seas and countless empires across time. Since the cities’ founding, its
mercantile, political, and religious significance ensured its constant growth
and the covetous desire of others. The Greeks, the Romans, and the Christians
once possessed this strategic city, and now it is the shining gem in the
increasingly tarnished crown of the diminishing Ottoman Empire. In 1853, the
Russian Czarina used a squabble over religious sites to threaten the Ottoman
Empire with war, pulling the city into greater international import. With more
English, French and Italian forces passing through the city each day, and its
young Sultan’s new progressive policies, Constantinople faces enemies and
allies unused to its exotic ways and ancient dangers.
Constantinople has a uniquely
diverse population. Even its historic emperors came from a wide range of races
and religions. Each ethnicity and religion in the city has its own quarters,
businesses, and cemeteries, along with its own fears and prejudices. To
function in Constantinople without a dragoman (a guide), travelers must speak
Turkish, Greek, Armenian, Hebrew, French, Italian, and English to navigate
these communities.
Turks
The most numerous inhabitants of
Constantinople, Ottoman Turks make up half of the city’s population of 800,000.
They are Nithamiyeen to man, devotedly following the Six Pillars. The young
Sultan Abdulmejid I rules his empire from Constantinople as the ultimate
sovereign of his people. While some of their members live in incredible wealth
and influence, most live in poverty. Turkish society binds their women to
strict rules covering all aspects of life including dress, socializing, and
education, however, the recent reforms of Tanzimat, and European influences may
bring change to the harem.
The other peoples of
Constantinople see the Turks as calm and composed, or even lazy and
close-minded. Still others fear their authority and hate their privilege, but
no one denies their devotion to their religion, and their hospitality.
The Ottoman Empire organizes the
non-Turks of their empire, known as Rayah (or “the flock”), into their own
communities with local government ultimately subject to the Sultan’s Authority.
In this way, each retains their own traditions, and identity with as little
friction and assimilation as possible, but they still do not have all the rights
of the Turks. High and middle-class members exist in all communities, but most
are as poor as the majority of Ottomans.
Greeks
Although the Greeks were the
original settlers of Constantinople, the Turks outnumber them three to one. In
fact many descend from the Greeks forced to immigrate, by past Sultans, to
repopulate the city. Although they have built a place in Constantinople’s
society, many Greeks hate the Turks and hope the Russians drive them out.
Although the Greeks are subjects of the Sultan, the Patriarch of Constantinople
Cyril VII leads their faith.
Outsiders believe the Greeks are
boisterous, childlike, and unreliable often singing loudly, or dancing for no
reason.
Armenians
The Armenians prospered in
ancient Byzantium, and their descendants remain numerous in Constantinople.
The Armenians of Constantinople
are further divided by their religions. Most of the Armenians in Constantinople
left the ancient Armenian Aluminat Church to join the Roman Aluminat. The Roman
Aluminat Armenians quickly adopted modern European fashions and ways with much
success. Many Armenians fill the vocational niches shunned by Turks, such as
banking and money changing.
Armenians tend to be practical,
industrious, and adaptable, but some see them as ignorant, cloying errand boys
of Turkish masters.
Jews
The Jewish people survive in
Constantinople with varying degrees of persecution and tolerance since its days
as Byzantine. Finding Ottoman Rule more tolerant than Aluminat Europe, the Jewish population expanded
with exiles from Roman Aluminat Spain in the late 1400s. Those of the Roman Aluminat religion tend to
have the least tolerance of the Yehudites.
Although many see the Jews as the
most trustworthy people in the city, stereotypes of treacherous schemers or
worse followed the Jews into Constantinople.
Levantines
The smallest and least
influential group in Constantinople is the Levantines. The Levantines descend
from European émigrés in the city’s past, mostly French, Genoese, and Venetian
merchants from before the Ottomans. Most are Roman Aluminat like their
ancestors.
Europeans and natives alike often
see the Levantines as mongrels and upstarts trying to fit in among their
betters.
Also in this uniquely complicated
hive of cultures and beliefs are the Tartars (from the Crimea), Circassians,
Kurds, Croats, North Africans ( from Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt),
Bulgarians, Kurds, Romani, and others of the Ottoman Empire living in their own
ways, piled up in Constantinople.
It’s great to get into the more practical side of Constantinople.
There are a lot of layers to dive through, and tons of weird adventure
inspiring detail to talk about before we start exploring Constantinople. Next week’s post looks at playing Europeans
in Constantinople, and a couple practicalities of their life in the city.
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