Architectrural and urban development of Constantinople and the contribution of Greek-Orthodox community to the formation of city (1878-1908): the example of Kalfa Pericles D. Fotiadis

Abstract

During the second half of the 19th century Istanbul was characterized as the prominent multicultural and multireligious city, and this character of the city was strongly reflected on its physical structure. The Greek-Orthodox community was playing an important role in the trade and finance services, and the high education level of the community members determined their orientation as individual professionals, such as architects. The activity of them concerned not only the limited boundaries of the community but also the whole population of the city. The paper attempts conclusions to enlighten the contribution of the community to the formation of urban space, and draw future conclusions for the architectural “identities” that could characterize the cosmopolitan phenomenon. Further, this paper wishes to mention the written sources of this era in order to investigate the role of the press in shaping and promoting urban and architectural patterns.