[TurkC-L] x0x Elegance at the Water's Edge
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x0x Elegance at the Water's Edge
* There's nothing more splendid if you happen to be on the Asian
shore than sitting on the verandah as the sun sets, drinking your
tea or enjoying a gin and tonic, or even dining as the world
floats by on the waterway
* The interiors of those yalis that have remained intact are truly
splendid. Huge chandeliers hang in grand entrance halls,
magnificent large old carpets cover the parquet floors and period
furniture graces the rooms
* At one time the Bostancibagi listed 245 yalis. Today it would be
surprising if there are as many as 30 of the old mansions left.
The grand buildings are to be found in the districts of Kuzguncuk,
Vanikoy, Cengelkoy, Arnavutkoy, Yenikoy, Anadoluhisari along the
Bosporus
They look so graceful sitting at the water's edge -- some well-kept,
some mere ruins, still more with paint peeling off: The waterfront
mansions on the Bosporus or "yalis" as they are called in Turkish.
There's nothing more splendid if you happen to be on the Asian shore
than sitting on the porch as the sun sets, drinking your tea or
enjoying a gin and tonic, or even dining as the world floats by on the
waterway.
The loudest noises are those of the sea gulls and an occasional boat
whistle or ship's horn. These elegant mansions were originally built
as summer retreats for wealthy government officials or military
officers. Unfortunately only a few remain from the 18th century. Being
wooden structures they burn easily and fires are frequent. It has to
be said that there has been more than one "suspicious fire," seemingly
because historical buildings are protected by law and cannot be torn
down to be replaced by modern buildings. Thanks to inheritance laws
some of these mansions have been left to families who cannot afford
their upkeep. Regulations also preclude the outside of the buildings
from being modified.
Repairing and repainting the exteriors is something of a double-edged
sword. You can get government assistance if you are willing to paint
the yali in a traditional Ottoman color -- mustard yellow, russet
brown or pink for example. But if you do repaint there's no telling
when the tax man will come by and reassess the property's value. Yalis
are expensive items; the pervasive damp from the Bosporus ensures that
paint peels off quickly, not to mention the issue of the quality of
Turkish paint.
The heating bill in winter is astronomical because the wooden
buildings are typically quite large with high ceilings. Of course
central heating has to be installed to take the place of the sobas or
stoves which were originally used. Windows on the ground floor are
vulnerable to breakage during storms. The original piping is extremely
limited and narrow and needs to be replaced before one can even
install an automatic washing machine. Almost all of the yalis have
gardens that require maintenance, hence the need for a gardener.
Cleaning requirements inside make a live-in domestic worker a
practical necessity. If you're lucky, you may be able to find a
married couple to fill the posts.
Konak1.jpg (16847 bytes) The boat house, which in some of the yalis is
an integral part of the building and allowed for dry landings, now
creates an easy access point for thieves to enter instead. There are
many tales to tell about the Bosporus yalis. One gentleman remembers
how he used to come home for the weekend from boarding school in the
days when there were no bridges and one had to cross by boat. Since by
the end of the week he had usually used up his entire allowance, he
would have to call his father to the water's edge to pay the boatman.
The interiors of those yalis that have remained intact are truly
splendid. Huge chandeliers hang in grand entrance halls. Magnificent
large old carpets cover the parquet floors and period furniture graces
the rooms. Stunning big mirrors hang on the walls along with stately
paintings of pasas (generals) in fezes (traditional hats) and 19th
century landscapes.
There are tales of abductions and fights and children who could not
agree on how to split an inheritance. Turkish law insists on all
children inheriting equal shares, in addition to the portion which
goes to the deceased's wife or husband. It then requires agreement on
the part of all to sell the house and property or what color the
exterior should be painted or indeed whether it should be painted at
all.
One matter which always annoys the residents of these splendid houses
is the dumping of garbage into the sea by municipalities and some
restaurants. A steady stream of watermelon rind, orange peel, scraps
of vegetables, raki bottles, milk cartons and whatever you can think
of drifts by.
Another danger is from passing ships that either being out of control
or lost in a sudden fog become uninvited guests. The mansions were
usually divided into two parts; the selamlik which was the men's
section where they could receive their male friends and the harem
where the women led their separate lives.
The Sadullah Pasa Yalisi dates back to the 18th century. It was
repaired in the 19th century and additions were made to the original
structure. Again it was repaired, this time in 1947. After businessman
Asil Nadir rented it a number of years ago, his wife Aysegul, who
loves antiques, set about restoring it bit by bit to its former
splendor.
The Kibrisli Yali is supposed to have been constructed around 1760. In
1840 it was bought by Kibrisli Mehmed Emin Pasa (hence its name) who
was one of the grand vezirs under Sultan Abdulmecid. Set in a
expansive park-like garden, the house contains a large fountain in its
main reception room which provides a different atmosphere from the one
you would expect. The room itself is paved in marble and has four
smaller rooms opening off it. Lady Montagu wrote about the Bosporus in
1717 -- about how beautiful it was with its flowers and trees and
nightingales, the fragrant roses, the water so blue, clean and
beautiful. At least the nightingales still sing in springtime.
Chief physician Salih Efendi's yali in Anadoluhisari has been
partially destroyed, but the section in which the elderly physician
and his 16-year-old female slave lived still stands. Their love affair
became known and Yali.jpg (20192 bytes) eventually they married. There
were already yalis along the Bosporus in the 17th century as one reads
in Evliya Celebi's works. They were said to have fallen into ruin
after the Balkan wars began. They enjoyed rejuvenation once again
around the time of the Lale Devri (Tulip Era) in the first half of the
18th century.
At one time the Bostancibagi listed 245 yalis. Today it would be
surprising if there are as many as 30 of the old mansions left. The
grand buildings are to be found in the districts of Kuzguncuk,
Vanikoy, Cengelkoy, Arnavutkoy, Yenikoy, Anadoluhisari along the
Bosporus.
For those who want a taste of yali life, try the Sadberk Hanim Museum,
which once belonged to a Greek family, or dine in the Memduh Pasa
Yalisi restaurant at Kirecburnu, which specializes in dried fish
dishes and duck a l'orange. The ambience of the yalis in Arnavutkoy in
particular have unfortunately been ruined by the construction of much
needed access roads. Furthermore the overall ambience of the Bosporus
has been spoiled by the concrete houses which have been built between
the elegant yalis.
Evening Music by Yahya Kemal Beyatli
At Kandilli, in the old garden, when evening drops down her curtains
one by one, sadness is tinged with happy memories.
No one is coming, no one is expected, and in the middle of the lonely
road the wind is playing with October's leaves.
By slow degrees the hours deepen now, and with inexorable tenderness
further and further still, the silence spreads.
Now wandering phantoms cause recurrent shivers, and darkness, coming
in at every door, is by her footsteps clearly manifest.
Then, as the world retreats from seeing eyes, on this night of a
thousand and one nights a dream, as though within a dream, begins.
* Translated by Nermin Menemencioglu in the Penguin Book of Turkish
Verse
End of September on the Bosporus by Yahya Kemal Beyatli
The days grow shorter. On Kandilli's shores the old recall the autumns
of the past. To love this spot alone, life is too brief, days grow too
short and summer ends too soon... for years we quaffed this precious
wine, unquenched... one life does not suffice for this one joy!
Death's in the books -- this thought holds no alarm. Yet it is hard to
part from motherland. From death's night to this shore, not to return
-- an endless longing, far, far worse than death!
* Translated by Nermin Menemencioglu in the Penguin Book of Turkish
Verse
The Sait Halim Pasa Yalisi
There is a large, old, white yali in Yenikoy not far from the ferry
dock, built in the first part of the 19th century for the Greek
community in Istanbul. But its name, the Sait Halim Pasa Yalisi comes
from the man who purchased it towards the end of the century. Sait
Halim Pasa, an Egyptian prince and the grandson of Muhammad Ali, was
grand vezir of the Ottoman Empire, or what remained thereof, between
1913 and 1917.
It was he who chaired the Chamber of Nobles in 1909 which deposed
Sultan Abdulhamit, and as grand vezir for the Committee of Union and
Progress (CUP), he and other CUP members led the Ottoman Empire to
disaster in World War I. The Turkish-German treaty of 1914 was signed
in his yali, bringing Turkey into the war on the German side.
The yali was restored in 1984. Its facade was painted, the plumbing
repaired and heating, air conditioning and a fire-alarm system
installed. The furnishings were also restored and the interior
redecorated. The harem garden was put in order and the pool restored.
The yali was intended to serve as a venue for receptions, especially
as it was next to the Carlton Hotel; however, the latter was
subsequently torn down.
The Fethi Ahmet Pasa Yalisi
All the yalis have stories to tell, some more interesting than others.
The Fethi Ahmet Pasa Yalisi in Kuzguncuk is no exception. Ahmet Pasa
served as a grand vezir during the reign of sultans Mahmut II and
Abdul Mecid and married a daughter of the former Atiye Sultan. It was
he who established the Military Museum. The yali, which is also called
the Mocan Yalisi, is owned by the two daughters of Sevket Mocan who
was the grandson of Ahmet Pasa. It is a double-storeyed building with
16 rooms. Since the daughters were unable to agree on almost anything
the yali was divided into two parts, with the doors between them
locked. Even painting the outside of the building led to disagreement
so one half was painted white and the other half pink.
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