The City of Countless Names- Outsiders in Constantinople

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.

Because of Constantinople’s importance in world trade, Europeans governments and firms housed representatives and agents in the city, since the Byzantine Empire. The Crimean War caused massive immigrations of Europeans (or “Franks” as they are often called by Constantinople’s inhabitants) to support, protect, and control their nations interests in the war effort. Everyday ships full of French, Italian, and English soldiers leave for the front. Their wives and families set up households in the city to be as close to their loved ones as possible. Sailors, stopping for a day on shore, look for excitement and pleasure. Businessmen and diplomats negotiate purchases and deals with Ottoman pashas to supply new markets and advance their countries agenda. Finally, a new class made of “the waifs and strays of Europe and Asia” look for new opportunities in Constantinople.

Since it’s days as a Genoese settlement, Pera-Galata houses most of Constantinople‘s European community. Expatriates run the hotels, restaurants and boarding houses, giving the streets a very cosmopolitan, but more familiar feel. For the Europeans abroad, life revolves around the embassies and consulates of Europe, located close to each other in Pera. They serve as post offices for letters to and from home, the social center for Balls and State Dinners for the High Class, and a little bit of home. By Ottoman law, consuls are responsible for holding court for any citizen belonging to its country accused of a crime.

A passport is essential for all travelers in Constantinople as a mean of identification (or of cover). In fact, the Turkish Government officially requires all foreigners to own a passport from their home country before entering Turkey. Some officials may let a foreigner through if they pay a small “fine”.

Passports are also necessary to get mail, use banks, apply for a Firman (a pass issued by the Sultan to enter Holy Sites), and ensure you do not fall into the hands of an Ottoman court without your countries representation. Here are the costs of passports issued by the various consulates in Constantinople. Nearly all consulates are open from 10 am to 3 pm.

Austrian Consulate- free

British Consulate- 2 shillings

French Consulate- free

Italian Consulate- free

Prussian Consulate –free

Russian Consulate- 5 shillings

Swedish Consulate- 2 shillings

United States Consulate - $1

An audience of curious locals constantly watches Europeans traveling around the city. When engaging in conversation, those with a smattering of European languages call the English (whether male or female) “Johnny” and the French “Disdone”, usually while selling something. Outsiders quickly get lost in the nameless streets and squares, or wander into places they wish they hadn’t.

Dragomans

Most Europeans would be completely helpless without a dragoman, a local interpreter-guide usually a Greek, Armenian, or Levantine. The name dragoman comes from the Arabic for interpreter, “Tarjaman”, and originally referred to the interpreters attached to embassies and consulates. Travelers shouldn’t hire the dragomans lurking around hotels, but should rather ask the staff of their hotel for a dragoman attached to their establishment or ask the staff of their consulate to recommend one. Good dragomans expedite sightseeing, fluently speak Turkish, Greek, Armenian, English, and French, haggle for the best prices in the bazaar, and keep their charges safe in Constantinople. Reliable dragomans cost about 10 francs (8s) to 7 francs (5s 7d) a day. They also receive a small commission from the merchants to whose shops they take their charges.

Manousis Kontoglou (Greek Orc Dragoman)

Physical: 5            Initiative: 7

Mental: 7               Health: 8

Social:  7                Quintessence: 6

Damage: Concealed Knife (6), Punch (3)

Possible Special Traits:

Polyglot +4 (Speaks fluent Turkish, Greek, Armenian, and Hebrew, with sparse French, English, and Italian)

Knows a Good Deal When He Sees It +2

Friend of Everyone in the Bazaar +2

Manousis’s past clients recommend his expert guidance to all their friends arriving in Constantinople. His carefully pointed mustache and his embroidered scarlet jacket make him easy to find even in the busiest street.

We’re getting the hardest stuff out of the way first. The past two weeks it was race, next week, religion, and the week after that, government. Actually, next week is the 150^th post, so we’ll take a break with something special, then it’s religion and government.