Major Named Istanbul Fires

See Also: Kenan Yıldız

ISTANBUL FIRES DURING THE OTTOMAN PERIOD AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE CITY’S TOPOGRAPHY

“… The first edict that directed a radical shift from wood to stone as the prevalent construction material in Istanbul was enacted in the 17th century,3 but change did not really yield positive results until the 19th century. There were many reasons behind this delay, among them the frequent large earthquakes in the region, the high cost of stone construction materials in terms of labor and transportation, the greater necessity urging people to reconstruct their houses shortly after disasters, and the fact that wooden buildings were easily heated and altered or renovated. It is also clear that with every fire, changes in the topographical structure of the city appeared…”

References

1. İstanbul İtfaiyesi 1774-1959,  İstanbul  Belediye, 1959
2. İstanbul’da Kırk Gün Kırk Gece, İstanbul  Belediye, 1868-1936
3. İtfaiye Tarihçesi ve İstatistiği  1714-1948,  İstanbul  İtfaiye Müdürlüğü
4. Cumhuriyet Devrinde İtfaiye, Tarık Özavcı,  İstanbul  Belediye, 1973
5. Tarihte Büyük Yangınlar, Niyazi Ahmet Banoğlu
6. Kuğunun Son Şarkısı, Beşir Ayvazoğlu
7. İstanbul Tulumbacıları,  Reşad Ekrem Koçu
8. Ergin, O. N.,  "Mecellei Umuru Belediye,  İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi Yayını, 1995

Mavi Boncuk |

The period with no organized Tulumba Fire Crews until 1714.

The first fire that Ottoman Istanbul experienced occurred in the 15th century (the exact date is unknown); starting around Fatih Mosque, it consumed 123 shops and 16 rooms in Sultanpazarı, as well as other shops in the surrounding area.

In 1501, a gunpowder shop in Galata was stuck by lightning; this was followed by an explosion and fire that left the neighboring areas in ruins.8It also resulted in the death of Grand Vizier Mesih Pasha and initiated the convention that the janissary aghas would watch for fires and be responsible for extinguishing them. During a fire that started in 1515 around Kapalıçarşı, a large number of shops and neighborhoods were destroyed. Demolishing the shops of Atik Ali Paşa Vakfı in Tavukpazarı, this fire was extinguished before it spread to the Gedikpaşa Hamam (Turkish baths). In connection with this fire, Selim I mentioned his regret about the death penalty he had imposed on Tacizade Cafer Çelebi after the Çaldıran Battle.

Important fires of this period;

1489    Güngörmez Church in Atmeydanı, which was used as a gunpowder and munitions storehouse, was struck by lightning. The explosion destroyed the church and much of the surrounding area, and many people died.

1501      Galata Fire

1510    It started in a neighborhood and spread to Balat and then to Bahçekapı, and 800 shops were burned.

1515      Kapalıçarşı Fire

1539    Zindankapı Fire

1540    Eski saray Fire

1554    The fire started in 1555, from Hagia Sophia to Tahtakale.

The fire caused great damage to Galata.

18.02.1560     Galata Fire

1558, 1590      Topkapı Sarayı Fire

1627    Cibali tarihi Kebiri Fire

1639    The flames, which started from the candle shop outside Balatkapı, spread to the houses outside the city walls under the influence of the north wind, and soon spread to Suriçi, burning the Balat district to ashes until the morning. The fire continued until Çukurbostan, and the area between Fener Gate and Çukurbostan was reduced to ashes.

1646    Tavuk pazarı

1647    Odun kapısı

1652,1660       Ayazma Kapısı Fire

1653    Oduncu Kapısı Fire

1660    Büyük İstanbul and Galata fires

1665    Topkapı Sarayı Fire

1673    Fener Fire

1675    Mahmutpaşa Fire

1676    Galata Kürkçü kapısı Fire

1678    Galata Kurşunlu mahzen Fire

1678    Tavşantaşı

1685    Eyüp  Çarşısı

1688    Cibali

1689     Ayazmakapısı

1690    Çarşuyikebir

1690    Eyüp Fire

1691    Mısır çarşısı Fire

1692    Work started in a rooming shop near Ferrah Kethuda Mosque, and 1500 houses were burned down to Kesmekaya.

1693   Cibali Fire and Ayazağa kapı Fire

1694   Şehremini

1697   Çarşuyikebir

1699    Alacahamam

1703    Tersane

1703    Vezneciler

1704    Eyüp

1704     Hocapaşa

1711     Beyazıt

1712    Eski Saray

1712    Kahraman çarşısı

1713    Sandıkçılar

Fires of the Janissary Tulumbacı Crews Period. (1714-1826) 

The abolition of the Janissary corps in this second period continued until 1826. During this period, historians recorded that there were 44 major fires, and 7000 buildings, inns, baths and madrasahs burned down in these fires. But during this period, the fire fighting period also began. Some fires were extinguished instantly.

Fire pump crews were unknown until the early 18th century. In 1579, Murat III issued one of the oldest edicts regarding fire and requested that fire escapes be added to roofs and roofs. Fires were tried to be extinguished with water carried from cisterns. Seeing this destruction in Istanbul, a French engineer invented a pump in the early 18th century. The engineer, whose real name was David, later converted to Islam and his name was changed to Davud Gerçek.

In the same year, Davud Agha rushed to a big fire with his pump, and the young people gathered around him helped him. Following this service, Davud Gerçek was appointed "Tulumbacı Ağası" by the grand vizier of the period and a tulumbacı organization affiliated with the Janissary Corps was established. Thus, the foundation of the oldest fire brigade in the world was laid.

Important fires of this period;

1714    Cibali

1715    Gedikpaşa

1717    Küçükmustafapaşa

1717    Tüfekhane  fire

1719    Gedikpaşa  fire

1719    Üsküdar

1720    Üsküdar

1720    Balkapanı  fire

1720   Cibali

1721    Hocapaşa

1722    Tahtakale

1723    Mahmutpaşa

1724   Kutucular

1725   Üsküdar

1727   Fındıklı

1729    Ayakapısı

1729    The fire broke out in a greengrocer outside Balatkapı, and in a short time, due to the influence of the north wind, it reached very large dimensions and became a disaster. Approximately one-eighth of Istanbul was reduced to ashes. It stretched from Fener Gate to Ayvansaray and destroyed the surroundings of Tekfur Palace.

1731    Unkapanı

1736   Bâb-ı Âli

1737  Üsküdar

1737   Bayazıt

1738   Sultanahmet

1739   Kadırga

1739   Şehzadebaş

1740   Bâb-ı Âli  fire

1741   In the Hagia Sophia fire, 200 shops burned.

1741   Boyacıkaıpı

1742   Hocapaşa

1742   Tersane

1743   Kürkçüler

1743   Balat

1744    Samatya

1746    Bahçekapısı

1746    800 houses burned in the Fener fire.

1746    Balatkapı

1746    200 houses burned in the Samatya fire.

1747    Küçükpazar

1747    Çarşuyikebir

1747    Üsküdar

1749    Gedikpaşa

1749    Kandilli

1749    Langa

1750    Cibali

1750    Uzunçarşı

1750    Sultanhamamı

1750    Ayvansaray

1750    100 houses burned in the Üsküdar fire.

1750    Büyük Kapalıçarşı  fire

1752    500 shops and 1500 houses were burned in the Langa-Aksaray fire.

1752   Hocapaşa

1753    Samatya

1753    Cibali

1755    Bâb-ı Âli  fire

1756    In the Cibali fire, 70 baths, 580 mills and bakeries, 10 inns, 200 mosques and masjids, 1000 shops and 800 houses were burned.

1756   Nakilbend

1759    Odunkapısı

1760    Karaman

1762    Cihangir

1764    Hocapaşa

1777    Arabacılar

1780    Samatya

1780    Balat

1780    Cibali

1782 7000 buildings on the shores of the Golden Horn, between Sultan Selim Mosque and Karagümrük and Religious Treasury Hazine-i Şerif, were completely burned.

1782 Map

1793       Balıkpazarı

1795       Azapkapı

1796       Arnavutköy

1812    The fire, which broke out in a house around Dörtyol and spread to many places in a short time, spread in five branches; one branch was Tekfur Palace, the second branch was Balat Bath and its surroundings, the third branch was Ayvansaray, the fourth branch was towards Eyüp and was finally extinguished at Zalpaşa Pier.

1822    Firuzağa

1822    Sultanhamamı

1825   Hocapaşa

1833    Cibali

Municipal Offices and District Pumping period fires (1826-1874)

When the Janissary organization was abolished in 1826, the Janissary Tulumba corps was also abolished.

Important fires of this period;

1826    Hocapaşa Fire

1828    The fire broke out near Abacı Çeşme. Many houses and workplaces burned.

1833    Cibali Fire

1854    Küçükmustafapaşa,  140   buildings burned

1855    Aksaray, 748  buildings burned

1856    Haliç, 200  buildings burned

1856    Kadıköy, 250  buildings burned

1857    Edirnekapı, 111  buildings burned

1857    Beyoğlu Sakızağacı, 209  buildings burned

1857    Kumkapı, 86  buildings burned

1857    Galata Mumhane, 76  buildings burned

1860    Hasköy, 80  buildings burned

1861    Unkapanı, 600  buildings burned

1861     Fener, 1100  buildings burned

1862    Küçükmustafapaşa, 242  buildings burned

1862    Ayvansaray, 219  buildings burned

1863    Cihangir, 42  buildings burned

1863    Kasımpaşa, 526  buildings burned

1864    Ayvansaray, 76  buildings burned

1864    Mahmutpaşa,   57  buildings burned

1865    Hocapaşa , 1007  buildings burned

Hocapaşa

48 days after the Vaka-i Hayriye incident, the great Hocapaşa fire broke out. This fire, which destroyed nearly half of Istanbul, prompted the Government to quickly revive the pump organization, but the new organization could only be established two years later, in 1828.

In place of the Janissary Corps, a new Turkish Army called "Asakiri Mensurei Muhammediye" was established, similar to the armies of European states.

There were Asakiri Mensure police stations in the old police stations built for the police of the city, and the new tulumbacıs were connected to the Asakeri Mensurei Muhammediye Seraskerlik (Commandership) and the tulumbacı teams were placed in the police stations with their tulumbas. This organization later became the Military Fire Brigade.

1865    Kumkapı, 1903  buildings burned

1865    Kazlıçeşme, 99  buildings burned

1865     Edirnekapı, 170  buildings burned

1865     Yenikapı, 68  buildings burned

1866    Hocapaşa, 150  buildings burned

1866    Balat, 500  buildings burned

1868    Balat, 118  buildings burned

1868   Uzunçarşı, 220  buildings burned

1869   Langa, 79  buildings burned

1870   Rumelihisarı, 64  buildings burned

1870    In the Pera/Beyoğlu fire, today's Beyoğlu, Galata and Karaköy were completely burned. The Great Beyoğlu Fire, 11 Rebiülevel 1287 (June 5, 1870) Sunday, one hour after noon, the fire broke out in the house where Hungarian Riçini lived as a tenant on Feridiye Street. It broke out among the wooden houses and since the weather was very windy that day, it spread into five or six branches in different directions. . Although extinguishing efforts were carried out seriously and diligently in the Beyoğlu fire, the burning of a large area could not be prevented. The flames proceeded from Tarlabaşı to Taksim, one end of which went to Cadde-i Kebir (İstiklal Street) opposite Galatasaray High School, another branch went down to Bülbül Creek and from there to the vicinity of Papaz Bridge and Emin Bey Mosque and from the border of Sururi neighborhood to Aynalı Çeşme. It extends from to around Galatasaray High School, including the British Embassy. A separate column advanced towards Kalyoncu Kulluğu and burned many of the buildings in front of it. In the area where this branch advanced, the Italian embassy and more than five hundred masonry and wooden houses and shops were burned.

1872    Edirnekapı, 305  buildings burned

T. Lobez, Madrid 1873 (1872 Map)

1873    Beyoğlu, 60  buildings burned

1873    Aksaray, 186  buildings burned

1873     Kuzguncuk, 591  buildings burned

Military Fire Department Era Fires. (1874-1923)

During the reign of Abdülaziz, when Istanbul Şehremaneti and Municipality offices were established, these offices established a tulumbacı team and they were called "Daireli". These were people who worked at their own jobs during the day and slept in the pump wards at night.

The “Great Beyoğlu Fire” that occurred in 1871 reveals the shortcomings of these organizations. By the order of Sultan Abdülaziz, Count Ödön Szeçsenyi, an officer specialized in this field, was brought from Hungary. This person is given the rank of pasha and begins his Ödön studies.

On September 26, 1874; The Fire Regiment, consisting of 4 Nizamiye (land) and 1 Naval (sea) battalions, was established and continued for 49 years from that date.

The Military Fire Brigade was actually transferred to the Municipal Fire Brigade on September 25, 1923.

Important fires of this period;

1874   Galata, 120 buildings burned.

1874    Samatya fire 687 buildings burned.

1874    Üsküdar fire 365 buildings burned.

1877    Mahkemealtı fire121 buildings burned.

1877    Fener, 67 buildings burned.

1878    Bâb-ı Âli fire, buildings burned.

1878    Şehremini, 54 buildings burned.

1878    Kadıköy, 150 buildings burned.

1879    Küçük Mustafa paşa, 172 buildings burned.

1880    Ortaköy, 414 buildings burned.

1880    Aksaray, 67 buildings burned.

1881    Edirnekapı, 59 buildings burned.

1882    Üsküdar, 51 buildings burned.

1883    Yedikule, 88 buildings burned.

1885     Hasköy, 297 buildings burned.

1885    Unkapanı, 140 buildings burned.

1885    Fener, 51 buildings burned.

1887    Arnavutköy, 264 buildings burned.

1887    Mahmut Paşa, 92 buildings burned.

1888    Üsküdar, 122 buildings burned.

1888    Laleli, 58 buildings burned.

1888    Kasımpaşa, 79 buildings burned.

1889    Üsküdar, 100 buildings burned.

1890    Pendik fire 1200 bina buildings burned.

1890    The fire broke out outside the city walls, and 1 mosque, 35 shops and 70 houses were completely destroyed.

1890    Aksaray, 200 buildings burned.

1890    Üsküdar, 69 buildings burned.

1891    Keresteciler, 316 buildings burned.

1892    Yenikapı , 123 buildings burned.

1892    Beşiktaş, 166 buildings burned.

1892    Balat, 60 buildings burned.

1893    Kadıköy   Moda, 150 buildings burned.

1895    Samatya, 146 buildings burned.

1895    Halıcıoğlu, 105 buildings burned.

1896    The fire broke out around Dibek in Karabaş District, 45 buildings were reduced to ashes.

1898    Hacıkadın, 110 buildings burned.

1898    Altı mermer,  50 buildings burned.

1898    Büyükdere, 263 buildings burned.

1899    Altımermer, 66 buildings burned.

1899    Kartal, 113 buildings burned.

1901    Eğrikapı, 90 buildings burned.

1901     Yedikule, 51 buildings burned.

1901     Kadıköy, 100 buildings burned.

1903    Kartal fire 1121 buildings burned.

1907    Yedikule, 60 buildings burned.

1908 photo of fire damaged areas

1908    Çırçır firen 1500 buildings burned.

1908     Yeniköy, 107 buildings burned.

1908     Arnavutköy, 109 buildings burned.

1908     Yedikule, 207 buildings burned.

1910    Çırağan Sarayı buildings burned.

1911    Moda, 50 buildings burned.

1911     Mercan, 173 buildings burned.

1911     Kuzguncuk, 68 buildings burned.

1911     Aksaray, 2400 buildings burned.

1911    Balat, 334 buildings burned.

1911     Beyazıt , 111 buildings burned.

1911    Kartal, 71 buildings burned.

1911    Mercan - Sultansarayları , 1 building burned.

1912    Ayasofya, 885 buildings burned.

1912    Tophane , 84 buildings burned.

1912    Tophane, 120 buildings burned.

1912    Tophane , 87 buildings burned.

1912    Üsküdar, 75 buildings burned.

1913    Ayasofya, 50 buildings burned.

1913    Ayasofya, 120 buildings burned.

1913    Halıcıoğlu, 221 buildings burned.

1915    Şehzadebaşı, 50 buildings burned.

1915    Cihangir ve Tophane , 135 buildings burned.

1916    Hasköy, 267 buildings burned.

1916    Kandilli , 31 buildings burned.

1917    Kumkapı, 296 buildings burned.

1917    Yenikapı, 124 buildings burned.

1918    Yeniköy, 80 buildings burned.

1918    Üsküdar, 82 buildings burned.

1918    Üsküdar, 230 buildings burned.

1918    Cibali-Altımermer firen 7500 buildings burned.

1918    Büyükdere, 78 buildings burned.

1918     Vefa, 500 buildings burned.

1919    Kasımpaşa, 381 buildings burned.

1919    Kuruçeşme, 403 buildings burned.

1919    Üsküdar, 63 buildings burned.

1919    Edirnekapı, 570 buildings burned.

1920    Nişantaşı, 65 buildings burned.

1921    Üsküdar, 600 buildings burned.

1921    Beşiktaş, 80 buildings burned.