Prof. Dr. Bengi Su Ertürkmen
Documenting British Footprints in Late Ottoman and Early Republican Istanbul (1868-1945)
Levantine Heritage Foundation in-person talk
Friday October 16 at 18:00 (Turkish time)
Saint Helena’s Chapel
Beyoğlu, Istanbul
Connected Lives: Mapping British Commercial and Social Networks in Late Ottoman Constantinople
Drawing on late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century trade annuals, this talk explores how networks of commerce, culture and society shaped the British presence in Istanbul through shared institutions, professional affiliations and everyday urban connections.
Taking as its starting point the identification of prominent individuals, families, institutions and associations that appear in the annuals, the research examines how memberships, professional ties and institutional relationships contributed to the formation of interconnected British networks across the city.
Through the examination of trade annuals alongside archival and secondary sources, a lexicon of individuals, families, institutions and associations was gradually formed, making it possible to trace relationships established through shared social, professional and institutional environments. These connections were subsequently visualised through network mapping, while the residential and commercial addresses recorded in the annuals were mapped in order to reveal the spatial distribution of these networks across the city.
The resulting maps and network visualisations reveal not only institutional relationships, but also the spatial patterns through which British social and professional life became embedded within the urban fabric of Istanbul. Rather than attempting to reconstruct the entirety of the British presence in Istanbul, the talk offers a partial yet connected reading of a community shaped through overlapping lives, places and institutions.
This talk presents the research process and outcomes of the project Commerce, Culture and Society: Contributions of the British Community in Late Ottoman Constantinople and Early Republican Istanbul, coordinated by the Levantine Heritage Foundation (LHF) and conducted by Bengi Su Ertürkmen.
Booking is essential. Book a place through Eventbrite
The speakers:
Assist. Prof. Bengi Su Ertürkmen followed by Akın Sefer + Dr Brian Johnson + Liana Kuyumcuyan & Murat Tülek
St. Helena’s Chapel is located next to the British Consulate-General in Istanbul
Asmalı Mescit Mah.
Meşrutiyet Cad. No: 42
34435 Tepebaşı
Beyoğlu, Istanbul
Prof. Dr. Bengi Su Ertürkmen
