BEBEK
There are two Bebeks, one consisting of stone, soil,
trees - some of them five centuries old, maquis covered hillsides,
flights of steps serving as streets, the turquoise waters of the
Bosphorus, twittering birds, cats and other animals. Then there
is the world of Bebek’s inhabitants. Over the centuries this
world has seen many changes, the village of Little Chilai with its
fishermen and Temple of Diana living through the Greek, Persian,
Byzantine and Ottoman periods.As well as Bebek Mustafa Çelebi
who lent his name to this Bosphorus village, other legendary figures
like Hasan Halife, Durmus Dede who resembled the ancient King Pius,
Halil Hamit Pasa, and the Elmaszade family lived here.
Then there were bureaucrats of Byzantine Greek origin,
the Dimitris, Hançerlis and Musurus Pasa, wealthy Armenian
families like the Kavafyans, Ohannes Pasa, and the Köçeoglus,
and renowned Ottoman statesmen of the second half of the 19th century
like Resit Pasa, Âli Pasa, Fuat Pasa, and Yusuf Kâmil
Pasa.
Bebek was home to Behçet Efendi, royal physician
to Mahmud II and his brother Abdülhak Molla (father of the
writer Abdülhak Hamit), Hüseyin Hâki and his brother
Hafiz Vehbi who founded Istanbul’s steam boat company, the
celebrated calligrapher Yesarizade, and the minor pasas and conformist
bureaucrats of Abdülhamid II’s reign, Ârifî
Pasa, Hasim Pasa, and Mabeynci Faik Bey. The notable Ottoman historian
Cevdet Pasa and translator Rüstü Pasa, Khedive of Egypt
Halim Pasa, and numerous sisters and daughters of the sultans like
Beyhan, Behiye, Ulviye, Atiye, Zekiye, Ayse, and Feride, and Pamuk
Hanim were among its other notable inhabitants.With the Turkish
Republic new faces appeared, such as director of Bogaziçi
high schools Hifzi Tevfik Gönensay, the respected teacher Nurettin
Sevin, Professor Schwarz, and the poet Faruk Nafiz. And today Bebek’s
inhabitants include a generous sprinkling of wealthy businessmen,
doctors, lawyers, engineers, bureaucrats and former politicians.
The scenery of Bebek has also changed over the years.
In earlier times the tiny village of Chilai consisted of adobe cottages
against a backdrop of deserted countryside, overlooking the Bosphorus
where fishing boats dried their wet sails. In later centuries palaces
and grand houses graced this pretty spot: Eminâbad Palace,
Hümâyunâbad Palace which stood on the site of Bebek
Gardens, Izzetâbad Palace, the hundred-roomed mansion of Yusuf
Kâmil Pasa, the forty-roomed waterfront mansion of Âli
Pasa, the stone palace originally occupied by Beyhan Sultan and
handed down from princess to princess in a line which ended with
Feride Sultan, and mansions which have survived to our own time,
including that of the Kavafyan family, Aslanli Kösk, and Yilanli
Yali.Now let us take a closer look at Bebek today. In place of the
modest quays which once stood at the headland of Akintiburnu or
Cape of Currents, there are now broad streets. Feride Sultan’s
palace, which later housed Bogaziçi high schools, is no longer
standing, its place taken by streets, shops and petrol stations.
In place of Izzetâbad Palace, also known as
Vezir Kösk, which stood on the hillside are innumerable blocks
of flats and other buildings. The palace of the khedive along the
waterfront now houses the Egyptian Consulate-General, and around
it are new waterfront houses, some magnificent, others elegant.
Beyond these is Bebek Gardens with its ancient plane trees and the
ferryboat pier. Along the main road and seafront are hotels and
small attractive fish restaurants. The graceful Bebek Mosque, designed
by Kemaleddin Bey, is a jewel of the district. A restored fragment
of Yilanli Yali, squeezed between the modern assertive buildings
along the shore, seems to bend in greeting from the past: a tiny
old mosque.Then comes the road leading up to Bogaziçi University,
and behind, amongst what remains of the large mansion of Ârifî
Pasa, an exclusive housing estate sprawls amongst lawns and trees.
Beyond these is Âsiyan.Walking along Insirah
Sokagi, the main street through Bebek parallel to the Bosphorus,
you come to shops distinctly urban in character in the former tramway
square. Here there are large restaurants, fancy shops, an art gallery,
and an old police station.Manolya Caddesi leads up the hill to Etiler
through an area of wooden houses bravely resisting the wear and
tear of time. Beyond the 96 steps of Ehram Hill a large new road
has been built. On Bagarasi and Germencik streets are Aslanli Konak,
Kavafyan Kösk, an abandoned orphanage, a fountain whose water
flows only sporadically, and further away the mansion of Abdülmecid
Efendi - said to be unlucky - which stands derelict.
Bebek Church, well cared for but now congregation-less,
harmonises well with this atmosphere.A mixed array of concrete buildings
covers what used to be strawberry fields.
And where is Thyme Hill? It, too, is hidden beneath
villas made of steel, concrete and glass, between which squeeze
side streets whose walls are in spring overhung by judas tree blossom
endeavouring to remind us of former beauties.The sheltered bay is
filled with sleek yachts shining with varnished wood and polished
brass, and sporting armorial devices. The wealthy, smartly dressed
people representing modern civilisation who lounge on their decks
have superseded the poor fishermen with sunburnt faces. But the
transparent waters of the Bosphorus still flow past in ceaseless
motion.The enchanting utopia of Bebek in former times has been usurped
by the materialistic rationality of the modern world. Nonetheless,
this former village remains a picturesque spot that should not be
missed if you are visiting Istanbul.
By Cahit KAYRA
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