Mavi Boncuk |
Letters from the Venetian Ambassador
Marcantonio Barbaro
Marcantonio Barbaro (1518-1595) was a Venetian diplomat, or bailo, living in the
Ottoman capital of Istanbul from 1568 to 1574, during the reign of Sultan Selim II. The
Venetian government was among very few Western entities to maintain close diplomatic
ties with the Ottomans, primarily to continue its citizens’ long-standing trade interests in
Asia. Barbaro’s letter to the Doge, or Venetian prince, although its subject is a disaster of
tremendous proportions, provides a uniquely detailed look at the cosmopolitan city of
Istanbul at the height of Ottoman power.
Letter from Pera, 1 October 1569
Serene Prince, etc. With the present letter I would now like to be able to convey fully to
your Serenity the most miserable sight that has been revealed here during these days, so
that you will be able, at least partly, to imagine in your mind such a marvelous [i.e.,
stunning] and terrible event….
And firstly, for your better understanding, I would like to tell you that this enormous city of
Constantinople [Istanbul], built on various hills in a triangular shape, had never been so
fully built, populated, and enriched by the ruin of other provinces, especially that part
facing Pera. Your Serenity should believe that presently it has been at its highest peak
since many years. Truly, one may say that it is almost entirely built of wood. Besides the
structure of the houses, which is all wood (except for the mosques, the baths, and a few
palaces of pashas built of stone walls as in Christendom), those few walls with which this
wood is covered, are also made of bricks of plain earth mixed with straw [i.e., adobe].
Thus, one may say that everything is made of wood.
Since there has been no rain for five months, all these houses were arid and dry when fire
broke out on Wednesday, the 28th of the past month (September), at the first hour of the
night [i.e., just after sunset]. This happened in the most crowded, most densely built and
richest part of the city, where the Jews were living, just opposite Pera. The fire spread so
quickly and became so big that one could say: “And the night has become like day in its
brightness.” Flames propagated in every direction, and it seemed as if a rain of fire was
showering from the sky. This sight, accompanied by innumerable cries of miserable men
and women who saw their belongings ablaze, and their life and that of their children in
danger, brought terror and boundless pity to everybody.
His Excellency the Grand Vizier [Sokolu Mehmet Pasha] and all his colleagues assembled
there, assisted by men and by any possible means; but these were of no avail, since they
had no practice, and the fire only expanded every hour in several directions with such
fury, and to such terror of everyone, that it can be stated firmly that never before has
something like that been seen or memorialized in history.
This horrendous spectacle could not have been better observed than from my dwelling,
since it is situated on the hillside opposite the center of Constantinople [Istanbul], where
the most beautiful and most densely built area of the city is spread out. Fire broke out
precisely in this part, spreading longitudinally from the walls of the Grand Seigneur’s
palace to under Sultan Suleiman’s mosque [the Suleimaniye], and in latitude from the
Bedestan town down to that part of the sea separating Pera from Constantinople, in a
circumference of about 3 to 4 miles. But more importantly, all this area was full of big
houses and shops with various goods and merchandise, so that being more densely
populated and richer than all the rest of the city, one could truly say that over half of
Constantinople has been consumed…. And your Serenity can be assured that every single
inflammable house within the aforementioned space, in width and length, was burned to
ashes, because the wind, blowing alternately from different directions, caused the fire to
reach every corner within that circumference, and it is no wonder that all has been burnt
down.
And truly, one cannot imagine an action of lesser intelligence or of greater negligence than what has been seen on this important occasion. For considering the number of
people involved and the other means that could have been employed, particularly in view
of the presence of all the pashas and other magnates of the Porte, one could expect to put
it under control within an hour. In this respect I would like to tell your Serenity that
blames and complaints against his Excellency Mehmet Pasha are reaching the sky. For
usually, when a great fire breaks out, the Janissaries bring a handkerchief or another sign
to the Grand Vizier or to their Aga [Chief Commander], to indicate their presence, and
afterwards, each one turning to identify his own sign, they are gratified with raises in their
pay. This time, however, his Excellency Mehmet refused to accept any sign from the
Janissaries. The anger of the latter, who could not give it even to their Aga, he being on his
death-bed, was so great that, when requested to help they refused to collaborate. Because
of such disorder the city remained at the mercy of the fire, and it is no wonder that so
much damage has been done, for the conflagration continued not only the whole night
and the entire following day, increasing incessantly so as to dim the sun and to cast an
almost blood-red color over the entire city, but also continued all through the following
night, spreading at the same time in different directions, which is undoubtedly difficult to
imagine, and even more so to describe, but this spectacle was witnessed by all of us, as
we were watching it from our windows….
It is generally believed that the fire started in a bakery, though there is a rumor, also
spread among important people, that it had been intentionally ignited in more than one
place by a few Persians, and that one of them had been caught. But to date, there is no
confirmation of that.
The damage caused by this memorable fire has been boundless and incredible, especially
among the Jews, for in the whole of Constantinople there have not remained even two
houses of Jews that have not been burnt. Having all resided within that area that has been
burnt, all of them have suffered enormous damage, either by fire or by theft. Many of them
have lost whatever they possessed, so that now it is heartbreaking to witness so many
desperate Jewish and Turkish families with children and women weeping and crying while
passing in the streets, with nothing or very little to support themselves. Our own
[Venetian] merchants will also be hurt, for these Jews usually buy their goods and
merchandise on credit for four or five months, so that many of our merchants, to a greater
or smaller extent, will have to incur losses because of their ruin….
Letter from Pera, 15 October 1569
. . . It is also said that the Jewish quarter in [the city of] Salonika has been burnt, and that
another great fire has likewise broken out in Bursa. But the degree of certainty with respect
to these occurrences in Salonika and Bursa is similar to the one regarding [the city of]
Tana. It is strongly suspected here that both in Constantinople and in Pera the fire was the
consequence of deliberate action, and indeed during the third night fire broke out here in
Pera at three or four places, but without causing any damage. Therefore many provisions
and security measures are being taken, and all through the night, both in Constantinople
and in Pera, the subasis [city constables] are patrolling with a great number of men
because of this suspicion….
These Janissaries, however, remain highly dissatisfied, since, as I have mentioned, a new
Aga was nominated to replace the son-in—law of his Excellency Mehmet Pasha, and they
were promised a raise in their pay as recompense for their efforts. However, the
expectation that this promise would be put into effect in one of the recent meetings of the
Divan [or Imperial Council] has not materialized, and they are suspecting that nothing will
be done. Therefore it is feared that on the next occasion of a fire or any other event, they
will be the cause of some trouble, or even that they will set a fire themselves as a form of
revenge.
The damage of the last fire has really been tremendous, and in some parts of the city it is
still not totally extinguished. Thus it seems to be inextinguishable, since it has been 18
days since its outbreak. I myself, having inspected the ravage in situ, have discovered that
it is much greater than what I estimated when reporting about it to your Serenity. The
circumference of the devastated area is a little less than four miles, in a nearly circular
form. The destroyed buildings include 20 mosques, 15 Jewish synagogues, and 12 public
baths, as well as innumerable large buildings, among them the house of the physician
Amon [Mosheh Amon, physician to the Sultan], where the honorable ambassadors of your
Serenity used to reside on their missions here, an impressive building, especially in this
country. And although rebuilding has already started in many parts, and one gets the
impression that a new city is being constructed, many years will pass before a place
comparable to the one existing before the fire will arise.
Letters from the Venetian Ambassador
Marcantonio Barbaro
Marcantonio Barbaro (1518-1595) was a Venetian diplomat, or bailo, living in the
Ottoman capital of Istanbul from 1568 to 1574, during the reign of Sultan Selim II. The
Venetian government was among very few Western entities to maintain close diplomatic
ties with the Ottomans, primarily to continue its citizens’ long-standing trade interests in
Asia. Barbaro’s letter to the Doge, or Venetian prince, although its subject is a disaster of
tremendous proportions, provides a uniquely detailed look at the cosmopolitan city of
Istanbul at the height of Ottoman power.
Letter from Pera, 1 October 1569
Serene Prince, etc. With the present letter I would now like to be able to convey fully to
your Serenity the most miserable sight that has been revealed here during these days, so
that you will be able, at least partly, to imagine in your mind such a marvelous [i.e.,
stunning] and terrible event….
And firstly, for your better understanding, I would like to tell you that this enormous city of
Constantinople [Istanbul], built on various hills in a triangular shape, had never been so
fully built, populated, and enriched by the ruin of other provinces, especially that part
facing Pera. Your Serenity should believe that presently it has been at its highest peak
since many years. Truly, one may say that it is almost entirely built of wood. Besides the
structure of the houses, which is all wood (except for the mosques, the baths, and a few
palaces of pashas built of stone walls as in Christendom), those few walls with which this
wood is covered, are also made of bricks of plain earth mixed with straw [i.e., adobe].
Thus, one may say that everything is made of wood.
Since there has been no rain for five months, all these houses were arid and dry when fire
broke out on Wednesday, the 28th of the past month (September), at the first hour of the
night [i.e., just after sunset]. This happened in the most crowded, most densely built and
richest part of the city, where the Jews were living, just opposite Pera. The fire spread so
quickly and became so big that one could say: “And the night has become like day in its
brightness.” Flames propagated in every direction, and it seemed as if a rain of fire was
showering from the sky. This sight, accompanied by innumerable cries of miserable men
and women who saw their belongings ablaze, and their life and that of their children in
danger, brought terror and boundless pity to everybody.
His Excellency the Grand Vizier [Sokolu Mehmet Pasha] and all his colleagues assembled
there, assisted by men and by any possible means; but these were of no avail, since they
had no practice, and the fire only expanded every hour in several directions with such
fury, and to such terror of everyone, that it can be stated firmly that never before has
something like that been seen or memorialized in history.
This horrendous spectacle could not have been better observed than from my dwelling,
since it is situated on the hillside opposite the center of Constantinople [Istanbul], where
the most beautiful and most densely built area of the city is spread out. Fire broke out
precisely in this part, spreading longitudinally from the walls of the Grand Seigneur’s
palace to under Sultan Suleiman’s mosque [the Suleimaniye], and in latitude from the
Bedestan town down to that part of the sea separating Pera from Constantinople, in a
circumference of about 3 to 4 miles. But more importantly, all this area was full of big
houses and shops with various goods and merchandise, so that being more densely
populated and richer than all the rest of the city, one could truly say that over half of
Constantinople has been consumed…. And your Serenity can be assured that every single
inflammable house within the aforementioned space, in width and length, was burned to
ashes, because the wind, blowing alternately from different directions, caused the fire to
reach every corner within that circumference, and it is no wonder that all has been burnt
down.
And truly, one cannot imagine an action of lesser intelligence or of greater negligence than what has been seen on this important occasion. For considering the number of
people involved and the other means that could have been employed, particularly in view
of the presence of all the pashas and other magnates of the Porte, one could expect to put
it under control within an hour. In this respect I would like to tell your Serenity that
blames and complaints against his Excellency Mehmet Pasha are reaching the sky. For
usually, when a great fire breaks out, the Janissaries bring a handkerchief or another sign
to the Grand Vizier or to their Aga [Chief Commander], to indicate their presence, and
afterwards, each one turning to identify his own sign, they are gratified with raises in their
pay. This time, however, his Excellency Mehmet refused to accept any sign from the
Janissaries. The anger of the latter, who could not give it even to their Aga, he being on his
death-bed, was so great that, when requested to help they refused to collaborate. Because
of such disorder the city remained at the mercy of the fire, and it is no wonder that so
much damage has been done, for the conflagration continued not only the whole night
and the entire following day, increasing incessantly so as to dim the sun and to cast an
almost blood-red color over the entire city, but also continued all through the following
night, spreading at the same time in different directions, which is undoubtedly difficult to
imagine, and even more so to describe, but this spectacle was witnessed by all of us, as
we were watching it from our windows….
It is generally believed that the fire started in a bakery, though there is a rumor, also
spread among important people, that it had been intentionally ignited in more than one
place by a few Persians, and that one of them had been caught. But to date, there is no
confirmation of that.
The damage caused by this memorable fire has been boundless and incredible, especially
among the Jews, for in the whole of Constantinople there have not remained even two
houses of Jews that have not been burnt. Having all resided within that area that has been
burnt, all of them have suffered enormous damage, either by fire or by theft. Many of them
have lost whatever they possessed, so that now it is heartbreaking to witness so many
desperate Jewish and Turkish families with children and women weeping and crying while
passing in the streets, with nothing or very little to support themselves. Our own
[Venetian] merchants will also be hurt, for these Jews usually buy their goods and
merchandise on credit for four or five months, so that many of our merchants, to a greater
or smaller extent, will have to incur losses because of their ruin….
Letter from Pera, 15 October 1569
. . . It is also said that the Jewish quarter in [the city of] Salonika has been burnt, and that
another great fire has likewise broken out in Bursa. But the degree of certainty with respect
to these occurrences in Salonika and Bursa is similar to the one regarding [the city of]
Tana. It is strongly suspected here that both in Constantinople and in Pera the fire was the
consequence of deliberate action, and indeed during the third night fire broke out here in
Pera at three or four places, but without causing any damage. Therefore many provisions
and security measures are being taken, and all through the night, both in Constantinople
and in Pera, the subasis [city constables] are patrolling with a great number of men
because of this suspicion….
These Janissaries, however, remain highly dissatisfied, since, as I have mentioned, a new
Aga was nominated to replace the son-in—law of his Excellency Mehmet Pasha, and they
were promised a raise in their pay as recompense for their efforts. However, the
expectation that this promise would be put into effect in one of the recent meetings of the
Divan [or Imperial Council] has not materialized, and they are suspecting that nothing will
be done. Therefore it is feared that on the next occasion of a fire or any other event, they
will be the cause of some trouble, or even that they will set a fire themselves as a form of
revenge.
The damage of the last fire has really been tremendous, and in some parts of the city it is
still not totally extinguished. Thus it seems to be inextinguishable, since it has been 18
days since its outbreak. I myself, having inspected the ravage in situ, have discovered that
it is much greater than what I estimated when reporting about it to your Serenity. The
circumference of the devastated area is a little less than four miles, in a nearly circular
form. The destroyed buildings include 20 mosques, 15 Jewish synagogues, and 12 public
baths, as well as innumerable large buildings, among them the house of the physician
Amon [Mosheh Amon, physician to the Sultan], where the honorable ambassadors of your
Serenity used to reside on their missions here, an impressive building, especially in this
country. And although rebuilding has already started in many parts, and one gets the
impression that a new city is being constructed, many years will pass before a place
comparable to the one existing before the fire will arise.