The yalıs rising along the shores of the Bosphorus were not merely waterfront residences in Ottoman Istanbul. They also made visible their owners’ wealth, their connections with court circles and their position within society. The Bosphorus resident sarraf-amiras displayed their economic power through a life surrounded by spacious residences, richly furnished interiors, magnificent receptions and distinguished guests. Yet this splendour was also part of a fragile order shaped by changing political circumstances.
The Yalıs and Mansions of the Bosphorus Resident Sarraf-Amiras
From the late 18th century onwards, the amiras increasingly chose to live in magnificent yalıs and mansions, a preference that became more widespread during the 19th century. Kuruçeşme, Yeniköy, Tarabya and Üsküdar were among the primary districts in which sarraf-amira residences were concentrated.
Towards the mid-18th century, the fact that Petraki Çelebi, one of the powerful sarrafs of his period, had a house in Fener and a yalı in Tarabya. The Duzian family, an Armenian family took on tasks in an institution as vital as the Imperial Mint and despite all sorts of predicaments continued working there for approximately 150 years, owned yalıs in Kuruçeşme, while Mgrditch Amira Djezayirlian possessed a mansion in Hasköy and a yalı in Yeniköy. Some amira residences were described directly as palaces. The Dadian, Duzian and Balian families also owned large, palatial homes and extensive estates.
From Winter Mansions to Summer Yalıs
The sarraf-amiras spent the winter months in their urban mansions and the summer months in their yalıs along the Bosphorus. These residences employed cooks, servants, grooms, wine stewards and boatmen. Professional performers and musicians could be hired for entertainments, while weddings and receptions were organised in ways that reflected the wealth of the families.
The sarrafs were described as sitting on cushions embroidered with gold and silver in their mansions in Hasköy, Yenikapı or Beyoğlu during the winter. In summer, they rested on the balconies of their yalıs or went on excursions in their private caiques.
Imperial Visits and Distinguished Guests
A sultan’s visit to an amira’s home was an important indication of the trust placed in its landlord. Mahmud II visited Kazaz Artin Amira Bezdjian (1771–1834), one of the most influential Ottoman Armenian financiers, administrators and philanthropists of the early nineteenth century, when he was ill at his modest home in Yenikapı and asked him to move to Ortaköy, which was closer to the palace.
Abdülmecid dined twice at the home of Garabed Çelebi Duzian and also visited Mihran Çelebi Duzian at his residence. As records indicate cause of bad weather in April 1846, Sultan Abdülmecid stayed for four days at Boghos Amira Dadian’s pavilion in Yeşilköy.
These visits demonstrate that amira residences fulfilled political and social functions beyond their role as private homes. Yalıs and mansions were places where state officials, diplomats, merchants and members of the clergy came together.
Music in Kuruçeşme and Magnificent Weddings in Yeniköy
The Duzian yalıs in Kuruçeşme were renowned for the musical gatherings held there. Sultan Selim III and several members of the Duzian family shared an interest in music and discussed the need for a new system of musical notation. The Kuruçeşme yalı became a meeting place frequently visited by musicians.
Yeniköy was one of the districts most favoured by the sarraf-amiras. The wedding of the son of Misak Amira Misakian (1790–1856/58) was attended by palace officials, diplomats and distinguished guests, with approximately 1,400 people received. The distribution of diamond buttons for the dresses of ambassadors’ wives reveals how a family celebration could become a major display of wealth.
Mgrditch Amira Djezayirlian (1805-1861), one of the wealthiest and most powerful Ottoman Armenian financiers of the Tanzimat period, also began constructing a magnificent European-style yalı in Yeniköy. The architect was Hagop Melik, and 54 workers were brought from France for the building project. Following the dismissal of Mustafa Reşid Pasha, however, Djezayirlian’s property was confiscated and the yalı remained unfinished.
Palatial Yalıs in Büyükdere and Tarabya
Büyükdere was another important district favoured by the sarraf-amiras. Apraham Pasha Yeramian (1833-1918), a wealthy Ottoman Armenian financier, senior civil servant, diplomat and courtier of the late nineteenth century, organised balls and hunting parties there. A ball attended by the wife of the French ambassador was held at his yalı, while hunts for selected guests were arranged on his estate at Kocataş.
Petraki Çelebi’s yalı in Tarabya resembled a small palace with its pool, garden, water system and nineteen rooms. The church in its garden contained crosses made of gold and decorated with diamonds, rubies and emeralds.
When the objects in Petraki Çelebi’s residences were confiscated, nineteen ox carts were required to transport them to the Imperial Treasury. This striking detail offers a measure of the scale of his fortune.
Mirrors, Silver Tableware and Jewelled Objects
The splendour of sarraf-amira residences also became even more apparent in their interiors. Large carpets, mirrors, porcelain, crystal, embroidered fabrics and silver services were among the principal elements found in these homes.
Chandeliers, mirrors, sofas, armchairs and chairs were ordered from France for Mgrditch Amira Djezayirlian’s yalı in Yeniköy. The silver tableware confiscated from his mansion in Hasköy is said to have reached a total weight of one ton.
Jewels were not used only in personal adornment. Chibouk pipe sets, watches, prayer beads, hand fans and buttons could also be ornamented with diamonds, emeralds and rubies. Furs, Indian shawls and valuable fabrics were further visible expressions of wealth in everyday life.
The Fragility Behind the Splendour
The yalıs of the Bosphorus sarraf-amiras were powerful symbols of wealth and social prestige. Yet these buildings did not always provide their owners with security. Changes in the balance of power surrounding the court could lead to the confiscation of both residences and fortunes. Yalıs that represented a family’s rise could soon become symbols of its decline.
The life created by the sarraf-amiras along the shores of the Bosphorus extends into a far broader world of documents, buildings and objects than the examples discussed here. The families’ yalıs, receptions, everyday possessions, confiscation records and visual testimonies are examined in greater detail in Jewelry and Armenian Goldsmiths under the Ottomans.