DALLAWAY

This work by James Dallaway, who visited the Ottoman country in 1794, contains detailed explanations about the Ottoman political system and palace organization. After this general introduction, the book describes in detail the important mosques of Istanbul as well as Byzantine artifacts. Later, Dallaway, who visited various cities of Anatolia, also visited the Aegean islands; He expresses his views on the Greek and Armenian churches and gives information about the languages of the minorities.

James Dallaway (1763-1864) was an English topographer and writer. He was the son of a banker. In 1789 he became a member of the Society of Antiquarians, a gathering of antiquities enthusiasts. In 1794, through the Duke of Norfolk, who was his protector, he was appointed physician and chaplain of the British embassy in Istanbul. The book we have is the product of his 3 years of life and observations in Istanbul. It is a French translation of the original edition entitled Constantinople Ancient and Modern, with Excursions to the Shores and Islands of the Arcipelago and to the Troad (London, 1797). There are two German editions, made in Chemnitz in 1800 and Berlin-Hamburg in 1801. After his return to England, Dallaway served as secretary to the duchy of Norfolk until his death and wrote books on the history of England. His work on Istanbul is more of a study of history and geography than a travelogue. While preparing his book, Dallaway benefited from ancient Byzantine writers as well as the travelogues of Western gegins and local sources. The book is full of detailed information. Based on the census of the Istanbul Efendi (Istanbul Kadisı), he writes that there were 88,185 houses and 130 public baths in the city. Presumably, based on this census, he writes that the population of the city was 400,000 people (of whom 200,000 are Turks, 100,000 are Greeks, and the rest are Jews, Armenians, and Franks). The information obtained from the qadi of Istanbul should only belong to walled Istanbul. Beyond the great sultan mosques that are told by everyone, the author also mentions Nuruosmaniye and Laleli. Based on the notebooks of the master of Istanbul, he writes that there were more than 500 schools in the city before the fire of 1782. It also provides important information for libraries. He also speaks of the streets, the coffeehouses, and the storytellers there that are so quiet that no European can think of them. He notes that a stone base was built to strengthen Çemberlitaş, which was damaged in the fire in 1779. As for the Bosphorus, after brief information about the seaside palaces and the mansions of the Fener Greek aristocracy in Kuruçeşme, aqueducts and embankments are briefly mentioned, and it is written that the residence of the Iranian ambassador is in Üsküdar.