Feriköy is an ethnically diverse neighborhood situated in the Şişli district of İstanbul near Tatavla (now known as Kurtuluş), Bomonti, and Osmanbey. These surrounding regions influence the demographics of Feriköy, and share similar characteristics such as significant Greek, Armenian, Georgian, and Jewish populations. Feriköy is part of a relatively big district of the city, and houses three significant non-Muslim spaces: the Feriköy Oniki Apostol Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi (Κοινότης Ἁγίων 12 Ἀποστόλων Φερίκοϊ), the Latin Catholic Cemetery (also known as the Pangaltı Roman Catholic Cemetery), and the Protestant Catholic Cemetery. Today, all three of these sites are within a 10 minute walk of each other.
Feriköy Oniki Apostol Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi (Κοινότητα των Δώδεκα Αποστόλων των Φερικάνων)
The Feriköy Oniki Apostol Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi is a Greek Orthodox Church built in 1868. The tughra (the signature or seal of approval from a sultan), issued by Sultan Abdülmecid I in 1861, allowed construction of the church to begin. The structure was completed by 1868 while Abdülaziz was sultan of the Ottoman empire. A charitable organization within the church was founded in 1899, named the Philoptochos Sisterhood of Ladies (Φιλόπτωχος Ἀδελφότης Κυριῶν), colloquially named "Saint Barbara" (Ἁγία Βαρβάρα). Later on, the church founded the Ferikioi Education Associational School, combining the kindergartens in 1932. The church’s structure underwent several renovations in the mid-twentieth century, and is still in operation today.
In the early twentieth century, Feriköy received official recognition by the Ottoman Empire. The majority of historical scholarship concerning this relatively new neighborhood focuses on its Protestant and Latin Catholic cemeteries. These cemeteries represent culturally significant spaces of gathering for non-Muslim residents–an especially important asset to non-Muslims under the Ottoman Empire. In the late nineteenth century, buildings throughout Feriköy were impacted by the trend of westernization in the post-Tanzimat period due to greater circulation of foreign officers throughout İstanbul. The Latin Catholic Cemetery of Feriköy embodies this trend with its prominent Neoclassical style, most notably on the funerary chapels and tombs. These funerary monuments are adorned with acanthus leaves, palmettes, garlands, and volutes.
Several Christian cemeteries were initially located in the Grand Champs des Morts region. In the mid nineteenth century, all were relocated to make way for more urbanization and reduce health risks of the surrounding residents. Feriköy’s Latin Catholic and Protestant cemeteries were displaced as a result of this change, and moved to the Şişli district. Today, the Latin Catholic cemetery holds tombs for a variety of upper class Levantine families and ethnic groups such as Greek and Armenian Catholics, Syrian, Chaldean, and Melkite families. It also memorializes notable families, such as the Corpi, Botter, Tubini, Glavany, and soldiers that served in the Crimean War. After immigrating to İstanbul, the Corpi and Tubini families both gained social and political influence through their successful banking industries in the nineteenth century. The Corpi family immigrated from Genoa, and the Tubinis immigrated from the Aegean Islands in Greece. The Botters, a Dutch family, became well-known for Jean Botter’s service as a palace tailor to Sultan Abdulhamid II. Finally, the Glavany (or Glavani) family migrated to Pera in the late eighteenth century and established their wealth by marrying into the Corpi family. All four families remain important historical figures of İstanbul. Since 1859, the Latin Catholic cemetery has held more than 40,000 people, and is currently managed by the Turkish government. The Protestant cemetery also includes a variety of ethnic families, and holds Swiss art historian, Ernest Mamboury and British diplomat and journalist, William Churchill. The distribution of plots for the Protestant cemetery is managed by the consulates of Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, Sweden, Hungary and Switzerland.
Images of early twentieth century cadastral maps portray Feriköy as a highly industrial space of İstanbul with factories producing manufactured goods such as cement, flooring, brick, and a variety of other construction materials. The Bomonti Beer Factory (pictured above) was built by the Swiss Bomonti brothers circa 1890 and later came under Ottoman Greek ownership in the early twentieth century. Today, this building is considered a notable “cultural hub” of İstanbul. In a sense, the structure represents the multicultural interactions and establishments that characterize the neighborhood. The cemeteries represent the majority of green space in the neighborhood–which still holds true to this day. In particular, the Protestant cemetery preserves the region’s biodiversity and native plants, such as the pedunculate oak, the narrow-leaved ash, and the terebinth.
Well-known medical researcher and physician, Hüsrev Hatemi, holds his earliest memories in Feriköy. Born in 1938, Hatemi grew up in the midst of World War II. In his oral history, he first recalls the majority of the population residing in Çobanoğlu Street were middle-class civil servants. Secondly, he notes that a few of the major buildings along the street were constructed by Greek or Armenian engineers. Lastly, Hatemi remarks on the noticeable influence of the Greek language on his paternal grandmother’s İstanbul Turkish, and his exposure to the Greek newspaper, "Greek Apoyevmatini."
References:
Antika Bilal, Ebru. “Geç Osmanlı Mimarlık Mirasının Yeniden Işlevlendirilmesi Üzerine bir Değerlendirme: Jean Botter Köşkü.” ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2019. https://www.proquest.com/docview/3086284101?pq-origsite=primo.
Ara Guler. Winter Flooding in the Lowland Region of Ferikoy, near Istanbul, n.d.
Duman, F. Selva. “İstanbul Feriköy Latin Katolik Mezarlığında Neoklasik Yapılar.” Art-Sanat, 2019. https://doi.org/10.26650/artsanat.2019.11.0017.
Fritz, Monica. “A Visit to the Feriköy Cemetery with Paolo Girardelli.” Cornucopia Magazine, December 21, 2020. https://www.cornucopia.net/blog/a-visit-to-the-ferikoey-cemetery-with-paolo-girardelli/.
Johnson, Brian. “Istanbul’s Christian And Jewish Cemeteries From 1453 Until Today | History of Istanbul.” https://istanbultarihi.ist/547-istanbuls-christian-and-jewish-cemeteries-from-1453-until-today.
Kawtharani, Wajih. “The Ottoman Tanzimat and the Constitution.” Arab Center for Research & Policy Studies, 2013. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep12682.
“Κοινότητα Δωδεκα Αποστολων Φερικιοϊ - Ἱερός Ναός Ἁγίων Δώδεκα Ἀποστόλων - Ιστορικό.” Accessed December 3, 2024. http://www.kinotita-ferikoy.org/church/about/.
Küskü, Fırat. “II. Abdülhamid’in Madalya Siyaseti: Liyakat Madalyası Örneği / Abdul Hamid II’s Medal Policy: The Medal of Merit Example.” Türk Kültürü İncelemeleri Dergisi (TKİD), January 1, 2021. https://www.academia.edu/69826543/II_Abd%C3%BClhamidin_Madalya_Siyaseti_Liyakat_Madalyas%C4%B1_%C3%96rne%C4%9Fi_Abdul_Hamid_IIs_Medal_Policy_The_Medal_of_Merit_Example.
MacArthur-Seal, Daniel-Joseph. “Feriköy Protestant Cemetery.” Heritage Turkey 13 (2023). https://doi.org/10.18866/biaa2023.10.
Martin, Cilia. “Reconversion(s) Territoriale(s) Sur l’avenue de Kurtuluş.” EchoGéo 16 (2011). https://doi.org/10.4000/echogeo.12393.
Mazlum, Deniz, and Ece Sönmez Pulat. “Restoration of the Greek Orthodox Churches at the End of the 19th Century in Istanbul: Case of Galatasaray Panagia Church.” Iconarp International Journal Architecture and Planning 8, no. 1 (2020): 357–82. https://doi.org/10.15320/ICONARP.2020.117.
Mert-Travlos, Ceren. “The Duality of Creative Hubs in Non-Western Contexts: The Case of Bomontiada.” Cultural Trends 30, no. 2 (2021): 99–121. https://doi.org/10.1080/09548963.2021.1877994.
Olgar, İnan. “Kültür Envanteri - Feriköy Protestan Mezarlığı.” https://kulturenvanteri.com/tr/yer/ferikoy-protestan-mezarligi/.
Primi, Gilberto. “Feriköy Lâtin Mezarlığı.” Ansiklopedi sayfası, May 27, 2024. https://istanbulansiklopedisi.org/handle/rek/11016.
Sabancioğlu, Müsemma. “Jacques Pervititch and His Insurance Maps of Istanbul.” Dubrovnik Annals, no. 7 (2003): 89.
Sefer, Semih. "Osmanlı devletinde faaliyet gösteren Banker Lorando ve Tubini aileleri." Master's thesis, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, 2017.
Şenyurt, Ali. “20. Yüzyıl Başlarında Feriköy’deki Vakıf Arazilerinin Dönüştürülmesi.” Kocaeli Üniversitesi Mimarlık ve Yaşam Dergisi 2, no. 1 (June 30, 2017): 153–63. https://doi.org/10.26835/my.311391.
Şenyurt, Oya. "Osmanlı'nın Son Dönemleri̇nde İstanbul’da İnşaatların Ve Müdahaleleri̇n Odağında Bi̇r Semt: Tepebaşi." Stratejik ve Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi 8, no. 3 (2024): 543-564.
Suvari, Zeynep Cebeci. “The Italians of Istanbul between 1873-1910 and Their Properties: An Analysis through the Property Petitions Addressed to the Italian Embassy.” Accessed March 10, 2025. https://www.levantineheritage.com/.
Tomaselli, R. “Catholic Cimetery Istanbul Cimetière Catholique de Pancaldi Istanbul Guide Du Routard, Gallimard, Lonely Planet et Neos. Palais à Istamboul Constantinople Palais de Topkapi.” https://web.archive.org/web/20160315205427/http://www.istanbulguide.net/istguide/cimetieres/pancaldi.htm.
“Tughra.” In Wikipedia, October 31, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tughra&oldid=1254533092.
Further reading on other ethnic minorities residing in Feriköy:
Şenyurt, Oya. “İstanbul’daki Bulgar Yapıları ve Feriköy’de Sveti Dimitar Kilisesi’nin İnşası.” Erdem, no. 84 (2023): 175–204. https://doi.org/10.32704/erdem.2023.84.175.
Şenyurt, Oya. “19. yüzyıl sonlarında Feriköy’de Bulgar rahipler ve Gürcü rahibeler arasında bilinmeyen bir arsa anlaşmazlığı.” Akademik İncelemeler Dergisi 13, no. 1 (2018): 263–90. https://doi.org/10.17550/akademikincelemeler.381973.
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