Yeniköy / Νεοχώρι
- yasmineakaki
- Jul 17, 2023
- 4 min read
Located in the Sarıyer District along the European Coast of the Bosphorus, Yeniköy is sandwiched between the Istinye and Tarabya neighborhoods. The precise date of its settlement is unknown, however, it was heavily redeveloped under the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent in the sixteenth century. To the Greek Orthodox community, the neighborhood used to be known as Nihori (Νεοχώρι) translating into “New Village.” Over the few centuries that followed Süleyman’s reign, Yeniköy developed a considerably large population of ethnic minorities; most of these minority groups were of Greek, Jewish, and Armenian descent. By the seventeenth century, Yeniköy consisted of three Greek Orthodox quarters, gathered around and named after the three Greek Orthodox churches in the neighborhood: St. George, St. Nicholaos, and The Blessed Virgin Mary. These communities took care of gardens in the neighborhood, operated shops, as well as an arak factory near the St. Nicholaos Church.
Despite attempts at eradicating minority populations in the twentieth century, the Surp Asdvadzadzin Armenian Church and Yeniköy Synagogue still remain active. Other religious landmarks in the neighborhood, including the Greek Orthodox churches and schools in each of the three quarters, have closed down as their communities have grown thinner.
By the nineteenth century, Yeniköy had become a prestigious neighborhood occupied by figures within the Ottoman administration. Several iconic seaside mansions settled by them have survived. Ottoman Statesman Salit Halim Pasha’s mansion is one such architectural hallmark, which was built in the 1770s by Greek architect Aristarkis.
Panayia Greek Orthodox Church (The Blessed Virgin Mary Kumariotissa)
The church was built in 1837 by Sultan Mahmud II at the request of his Greek physician, Stefanos Karatodori. Karatodori was a member of a prominent Phanariot family and was the father of Alexander Karatodori, an Ottoman diplomat who served as the ambassador to Rome. The tombstones of the father and son are still located next to the church's wooden bell tower. Based on the Turkish name for the church (Yeniköy Panayia Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi ve Mektebi Vakfı), it appears that the church once functioned as an educational institution, too.
Saint George Greek Orthodox Church
The church was built in 1659, and it is affiliated with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem instead of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople. The interior contains numerous beautiful depictions of saints wearing Greek and Roman garments, and three Jerusalem patriarchs are buried in the yard.
Saint Nicholaos Greek Orthodox Church
First recorded by Paulus, a scribe who traveled to Istanbul alongside the Patriarch of Antioch (modern-day Antakya, Turkey) in 1652, the Saint Nicolas Greek Orthodox Church’s first construction dates to the seventeenth century. While the precise date is debated, it was rebuilt in the second decade of the nineteenth century, and then again in 1838. In 1740, the maintenance dues paid to the patriarchate were considerably high in comparison to other churches nearby, illustrating the high status of the religious landmark.
Greek Orthodox Schools
Home to the largest Greek Orthodox population among the Bosphorus villages after Arnavutköy, Yeniköy supported a thriving educational life with two schools, and even entertained plans for a third. In 1847, after a fire destroyed the neighborhood’s only school, Patriarch Antimos called for the urgent establishment of separate schools for boys and girls. This initiative led to the founding of the Karatodori Boys and Girls School. A few decades later, in 1872, a generous donation from Hristaki Zografos funded the construction of a second school. Designed in the neo-Byzantine style by architect Konstantinos Dimadis, the Zografyon Girls School was built on a hill behind the Church of Saint Nicholas. With its creation, the Karatodori School was converted into a boys-only institution. The Zografyon Girls School remained active for nearly a century, closing its doors in 1980.
By 1914, when both schools were still in operation, 2,800 Greek Orthodox residents were recorded in Yeniköy. The community even obtained permission to build a third school that would have been named “Evgenedion”, to meet the needs of its growing population. Although this final project was never realized, it illustrates the importance of education to the Greek Orthodox community.
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