The document provides a history of Izmir, Turkey in the 19th century. It describes the diverse population which included Turks, Greeks, Armenians, Jews, and Levantines (people of mixed European ancestry). There were social clubs that different ethnic and religious groups used for socializing separately. Overall, the diverse populations coexisted relatively peacefully, with intermarriage and shared customs becoming common. Conflicts did occur periodically related to ethnic and religious differences.

1. IZMIR IN 19TH CENTURY

2. HISTORY OF İZMIR BEFORE 19TH CENTURY
 About 3000 B.C., it is certainly known that
settling around Bayraklı was established
 Izmir was ridden many times and it was under
the different nation and civilizations
 It was built again after it was conquered by
Alexander the great in 344 B.C. But this time it
was not settled in Bayrakli, it was around Pagus
Mountain which was located on Kadifekale.
 According to some researches Izmir is defined
as the most beautiful city of Asia around the
starting date of christian era.

3.  After Christ it was dominated by Rome, Byzantine,
Arab and Byzantine again. After that it was conquered
by Caka Beyi, Byzantine, Anatolian Beylics and then
Ottoman Empire. There was a period that Turks were
living at the higher region of the city and Rhodes
Knights were living at lower parts.
 Till Greek invasion at the end of World War I, Izmir
was only invaded by Venetian for a short time in 1472
and this is the only interruption while it is under
Ottoman Empire. The city which was invaded many
times will sure contain overtones from all of them and
will gain complex and mixed ethnical formation. While
it tried the open the gates of Front Asia, Venetians
which were settled and making trade in Aegean
Coasts, started a competition with Dutch and Genoese
by opening new markets. One of the most important
markets in there was Izmir.

4. ECONOMIC CULTURE
 It was based on capitulations
 Turk nation dependent to
other countries in an
economic way in their own
territories.

5. RELIGION SUBJECT
 Religious missions came into city
before the capitulations of 1535 which
were caused by Byzantine, and it was
understood from popery decision was
effected by Genoese and Jesuit
 It is understood that the church of
Netherland settled in the city in close
time, in the year of 1612
 Levanter community in other words
generalized community was shaped
as a result of marriages it its own and
with local Greek (Rum). Increasing of
foreign population in Izmır and its
around in time formed the term
“Unbeliever Izmir”(Gavur İzmir)

6.  Except from Greek, Armenian, Jewish
minorities settled in Izmir, there were
smaller minorities which were generalized
group named Frank or Levanter. Their
settling in city based on the first period of
15th century
 Conflict of interest in Izmir of groups and
countries which supported these groups
for a long time effected social and physical
structure of city besides its appearance.

7. POPULATION STRUCTURE AND SOCIETIES OF
IZMIR IN 19TH CENTURY
 In a period of half century we can say that
average population rose approximately from
100,000 to 130,000. In 50 years period large
amount of increase was not observed.
 According to opinions of different travelers
and authors in the period began from the
beginning of 19th century to 1860s in Izmır,
opinions about distributions by ethnic
groups of population number were shown
on table.

11. BELGIUM CONSULATE DUCKERS WHO STATED POPULATION
CENSUS WERE NOT SO CONFIDENTIAL EVEN IN 20TH
CENTURY, PREDICTED THAT IZMIR HAD 250,000 CITY
POPULATIONS AT THAT TIME. SETTLEMENT AROUND IZMIR
ARE STATED ON THE FOLLOWING TABLE

12. IN THE MIDDLE OF 19TH CENTURY TURK POPULATION IN
IZMIR WAS DECREASING PROPORTIONALLY, ACCORDING TO
MANY RESEARCHERS, REASONS OF THAT WERE AS
FOLLOWINGS
 Young people went to army in their most
productive period.
 Turkish people hired their own houses which
needed repairmen and maintenance to
Greeks.
 Greeks married in young ages and had kids
while these were rare in Turkish people
because of westernization policy of Ottoman
Empire.
 Turks were forced to migration.

13.  Greek villages had many schools and Greeks
were making most profitable business. Therefore
Turks started to become second class citizen in
their own country. Ottoman started to be called
“Sick Man” at that time
 As a result of Kırım war Ottoman Empire won and
Russia defeated, so dreams of Greek and
Armenians were ruined
 As a result of being together of Greeks,
Armenians, Jewishes and Turks, it is observed
that all societies started to approach others
especially Turks in ways of traditions and customs
except for religion. In the mix structure of Anatolia
and Izmir, there were some Levanters which were
inharmonious with the general character of
society.

14. WHAT IS LEVANTERS?
 It is a name which is given
to immigrants. These
immigrants were like Greek,
Armenian, Assyrian and
Christian who were firstly
not local, then integrated to
Anatolian culture. Their
population was growing
rapidly in big harbor cities
 At the end of the 19th
century, Frank streets, in
which foreign citizens in
Izmir lived, were like small
states dependent to their
consulates. The biggest
source of this power was
Levanters of Izmir.

15.  Foreigners in Izmir lost their
ethnical identity by marrying each
other and living together with the
people of Izmir. These marriages
were made with Greeks and rarely
Armenian and Georgian girls. That
helped to Europeans get closer to
east traditions. Addition to that,
Levanter families from Izmir had
Greek cleaners or nannies from
Izmir or Kusadasi. This situation
affected growing type of children.
For this reason the Greek
language became a common
language for Levanters who had
different ethnical roots.
 Some examples of Levanter
Families: Van der Zee, Reggio,
Penetti, Missir, Maltass and etc.

16. GREEKS (RUMS)
 Greeks’ gaining independence determined the faith of
Greeks who were living in Izmir.
 Greeks’ gaining independence started with that
Greeks, which were citizens of Ottoman Empire since
15th century, staged a rebellion against Ottoman
Empire in 1821 with Greek Riot. Greece was known as
an independence country with Istanbul Agreement
which was signed in 1832
 Ottoman Empire accepted the independence of
Greece with Edirne Agreement which was signed with
Russia in 1829 as a result of being defeated at the
1828-1829 Ottoman-Russia War.
 Therefore Greeks became a first society which was
gaining independence under the authority of Ottoman
Empire

17. Greeks in Izmir had a peaceful
policy. In Morean peninsula
Greeks made all kind of
violence to gain
independence. In wars,
behaviors of Greeks lived in
Izmir showed alternation. But
at some point, all of them
stated that Greeks in Izmir
were living in danger and with
fear at that period. It is
understood that ideas about
Greeks in İzmir were living in a
big oppression were
controversial except the
actions which occurred during
the war. After the
independence of Greece, it
can be observed that they
were living freely in many
aspects.

18. SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEF IN GREEKS
 It is stated that many
superstitious beliefs are
coming from Greeks. For
example the test of
“loving or not” from the
flower of daisy, seeing
owl is a messenger of
death, extra care and
interpreting styles about
different luck and bad
luck. These have been
reached until today.

19. ERMENIANS
 Second interested group after Rûms for writers
 Like jews, Ermenians also weren't carrying any
weapon or hadn't involved with any rebel issues
 It showed more resemblance than other ethnic
groups to Turks

21. JEWS
 They were the poorest jews as ever seen in the
world
 They had no trouble with authority so they never
treated badly by Turks
 They had privileges such as tax payment was
almost same with a muslim

23. TURKS
 There were good comments and bad comments
for Turks from various writers
 In general Turks described as calm, gentle,
protective, polite and trustworthy

25. INTERCOMMUNAL SOCIAL RELATIONS
 The citizens of Izmir, no matter they are from any
nationality, are strongly hospitable and likes to
serve their guests (including Levantens)
 Because of the marriages between different
societies in Izmir, those people acquired common
customs and tradations

27.  It'd known that the foreigners who lived in Izmir
had social relations only with offical invitations
and visits
 Authority had to be careful how to rule over
europeans and christian ethnic groups and
muslim folk

28.  The social solidarity is quite intense during the
disasters such as fire, fload, earthquake or plague
 The aid collected with the support of
communities through concerts, shows, lottery or
such activities

29. SOCIAL CLUBS IN THE LIFE OF PEOPLE OF
IZMIR
 Izmir has been a cosmopolitan city from very
early age of the history but especially foreign
minorities (also sometimes indigenous
minorities) established social clubs in order to
isolate themselves from society
 in the beginning, to enter those clubs had been
very difficult, however in time the ones which
established by Europeans and Levantens
moderated themselves

30.  Those clubs were named European Club, 'Cercle
Européen' but most common and knowned
names were Frenk Casino or Casino (Gazino)
 According to a French writer, those casinos were
such place for discussing bureaucracy, nations
and its kings and making commercial treaty

32. GAMES OF HAZARD
 In 19 century, in most of clubs card games were
pretty common
 whirst and écarté some of them
 Chess was also played especially at the end of 19
century
 Raffle and tombola

33. INTERCOMUNAL ETHNIC AND RELIGION
ORIGIN CONFLICTS
 In 19 century, Izmir was a complicated city, which
could not be seen in any other cities or countries,
when we look at it population
 Many different nation and ethnical groups, in
addition there were different religions
 The most detached one was Turks
 Jews were in se ond place
 The most problematic group was Rûms