Nazım Hikmet of Kadıköy

Mavi Boncuk | 

Nazım Hikmet[1] spent his childhood and early youth in Kadıköy. He began his education at Taşmektep in Göztepe.

From then on, except for the schools he attended, he lived in various parts of Kadıköy. After his release from prison under an amnesty law in July 1950, he lived in a house on Hasırcıbaşı cul de sac in Bahariye.

The ground floor of an apartment building opposite the Water Administration building in Mühürdar was the last house Nazım Hikmet lived in, both in Kadıköy and in his hometown.

[1] Mehmed Nâzım Ran (17 January 1902 – 3 June 1963), commonly known as Nâzım Hikmet), was a Turkish poet, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, director, and memoirist. 

For the curious: The first manager of Süreyya Cinema [2] was Nazım Hikmet's father, Hikmet Bey. In their final biography of Nazım Hikmet, "The Romantic Communist," authors Şaime Göksu and Edward Timms recount the following: In 1932, Hikmet Bey was bitten by a dog and received a rabies vaccine. However, a few days earlier, due to an injury, he had also received a tetanus vaccine, and due to the incompatibility of the two vaccines, he became seriously ill and died shortly thereafter. While he was ill, Süreyya Pasha (İlmen) came to their home and spoke with him about the cinema's finances. When Hikmet Bey died a few days later, Nazım Hikmet was deeply saddened and angrily wrote a poem titled "A Test of the Pen in the Valley of Satire" (1933). He also expressed his anger at Süreyya Pasha in his poem "The Night-Coming Telegraph" (1932).

Source: https://www.cafrande.org/kadikoyde-bir-sinema-ve-sureyya-pasa-dair/

HİCİV VADİSİNDE BİR TECRÜBEİ KALEMİYE

Bir varmış
bir yokmuş.
Develer tellallık edip satarken develeri,
bir benim babam varmış,
bir de bir zatımuhteremin pederi.
Benim babam,
dazlak kafalı ufak tefek bir adam.
O bir zatımuhteremin pederi
İkinci Sultan Hamidin
meşhur hırsız seraskeri.
Benim babam,
dolu koymuş
boş çıkmış,
bütün ömrünce çevirmiş simsiyah defterleri.
O, bir zatımuhteremin pederi –
Yemen çölünde açlıktan ölenlerin
suyundan, ekmeğinden çalarak,
kumun üstüne akan kandan
yüzde yüz komisyon alarak
han, hamam, apartıman yapmış…
Ey zatımuhterem!
Şaire, “Kısa kes, diyelim, sözlerini!”
Ölmüş sizin serasker
peder.
Benim de babam öldü.
Ve dünyaya yummadan evvel
ışıklı çocuk gözlerini
siz onun yanındaydınız.
Son beş papelin hesabını vermeden ölmesin, diye
kalbinin atışını saydınız.
Tutmuyordu babamın öpülesi elleri.
O eller..
Babamın gözleri artık
simsiyah defterleri göremiyordu…
Fakat yine siz haklısınız:
o gündü hesap günü.
Taktınız tenezzülen kendi elinizle siz
bir ölünün burnuna gözlüğünü,
beş papelin hesabını istediniz.
İşte o hesabı şimdi ben veriyorum.
Size bir tokat
borcum vardı.
Dikkat!
Kolumu geriyorum.
İkimiz karşı karşıyayız.
Sizin peder ölmüş.
Öldü benim babam.
Karşı karşıya kaldık iki meşhur adam.
Benim şöhretim nerden gelir,
ben neyimle meşhurum –
-MALUM!.
Size gelince:
sizi meşhur eden şey:
hırsız bir babanın kanlı altınlarını çalan
hırsız bir oğlun parasıdır.
Sizin şöhretiniz:
lanetle dolu bir yükün
çuval darasıdır.
Şöhretiniz:
kıvrak çengiler, büyük kemancılar veren
çingene çadırlarının yüz karasıdır.
İnanmazsanız eğer,
karıştırsın alim efendiler
kalın yapraklı kitaplar gibi seneleri:
anlarsınız ki, Edirne boyu
çingeneleri,
görmemiştir soyunuz gibi bir soyu…
Bir varmış
bir yokmuş.
Develer tellallık edip satarken develeri,
bir benim babam varmış,
bir de bir zatımuhteremin pederi.
Ey zatımuhterem!
Ölmüş sizin serasker
peder.
Öldü benim babam.
Karşı karşıya kaldık
iki meşhur adam…
N.Hikmet – 1933

GECE GELEN TELGRAF[3]

Gece gelen telgraf
dört heceden ibaretti:
“VEFAT ETTİ.”
İmza yok.
Bu dört hece bile çok.

Bakıyorum duvara:
duvarda bir yara-
duvarda bir resim-
vefat edenin,
elimle çizmişim.

Saat bir.
Saat üç.
Saat beş.
Polis düdükleri, saatlar…
Yatağım bozulmamış.
Çekmecemde kaatlar:
bazıları
onun el yazıları.

Gece gelen telgraf
dört heceden ibaret…
Şafak söküyor-
odam
geceden ibaret.

Avuçlarımda
ellerinin gölgesi dolaşan adam
demir parmaklıklardan gördü son gündüzünü.
Mahpushane doktoru
örterek paltosuyla upuzun yatanın yüzünü:
– Tamam!
dedi.
Bunu belki evvelki akşam
dedi.
Evvelki akşam
ben……

Satıcılar geçiyor mahalleden.

Bakıyorum
gece gelen
telgrafa.
O mükemmel bir kafa
mükemmel bir yürek,
yumruklarıyla erkek
gözleriyle çocuktu.
Hudutsuz ve Allahsız bir baştı o.
Yoldaştı o..

* * *
Düşmanlar kına yaksın
dostlar girsin saflara.
Sen gözyaşı göstermeden ağlıyacaksın
gece gelen telgraflara…

Nazım HİKMET

[2] HOW WAS THE CINEMA FOUNDED?

Süreyya İlmen (Süreyya Pasha), one of the most prominent entrepreneurs of his time and known for his work on Süreyyapaşa Beach in Maltepe, was one of the associations chaired by the Kadıköy Tesisi Mekatip ve Terakkii Maarif (Source of Education). In 1922, to support schools that were beginning to close, the association planned to hold a large performance at the Apollon Theater (today's Rexx Cinema) to benefit the schools in Kadıköy. However, the hall was not given to the association. In 1924, Süreyya Pasha began building the Süreyya Cinema, which would meet the cultural and social needs of the people of Kadıköy, including cinemas, theater, balls, and engagement ceremonies.

The cinema was modeled after theaters Süreyya Pasha had seen and admired in Europe. For example, the hall is identical to the hall of the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The interior was copied from German theaters. Since sound cinemas hadn't yet been invented at the time, Süreyya Pasha's dream was to create an institution that could be used for both cinema and theater, recreating a scene he had seen in an opera during his 1900 trip to Vienna. During construction, he told Akşam newspaper that he had ordered the electricity and heating systems from Europe, a year when electricity was still unavailable in Kadıköy.

The Süreyya Cinema opened on March 6, 1927. Between 1928 and 1929, the theater operated only on certain days for the Süreyya Operetta performances. In 1930, technical modifications were made to allow for the screening of sound films. The summer section began operating in July 1936.

HE LEFT THE CINEMA TO DARÜŞŞAFAKA

In 1950, Süreyya İlmen left the cinema to the Darüşşafaka Society, with the proceeds to be his and his wife's until their deaths. For 15 years, until Süreyya İlmen's death, Süreyya Cinema was managed by Cemil Filmer, owner of Lale Film, one of the most professional filmmakers of the time. Since Süreyya İlmen's death in 1955 and his wife, Adalet İlmen, in 1966, the cinema has been run by family members.

IT ALSO HAS LOGGIAS

Süreyya was closed for three weeks in 1994 for renovations. It was renovated with seats imported from Spain, a silver screen suitable for 3D projection, and a sound system. The screen was subsequently renovated at regular intervals. With its balcony structure, frescoes on the ceiling and cornices, and paintings on the side walls, the cinema is one of the few venues preserved in its original state, reflecting the city's historical significance. One of the cinema's unique features is its two-story side booths.

The section formerly used as a ballroom is now used by a store. The Süreyya Paşa Parking Lot (operated separately) is located in the space that served as a summer cinema.

She was the mother of Gülriz Sururi, the prima donna of the Süreyya Operetta.

Süreyya Paşa founded the Süreyya Operetta in 1928. This group pioneered the early adaptation of traditional Turkish compositions into operettas. The Süreyya Operetta continued its work until 1934. Among the performers who performed in the operetta were many renowned names, including Suzan Lütfullah, the operetta's prima donna who died young; Semiha Berksoy, later prima donnas; Toto İrma (Karaca), and Fikriye Hanım. Those who come to see a film currently in theaters can see a bronze statue of Gülriz Sururi's mother, Suzan Lütfullah, at one of the stairwells.

[3] Lines from the poem "An Experience in the Valley of Satire by Kalemiye," which gave rise to the defamation lawsuit:

“…İkimiz karşı karşıyayız
sizin peder ölmüş
öldü benim babam
karşı karşıya kaldık iki meşhur adam
benim şöhretim nerden gelir
ben neyimle meşhurum,
malum!
size gelince:
sizi meşhur eden şey:
hırsız bir babanın kanlı altınlarını çalan – hırsız bir oğlun parasıdır.
sizin şöhretiniz:
lanetle dolu bir yükün
çuval darasıdır. …“

"...We are face to face. Your father is dead. My father is dead
We are face to face, two famous men. Where does my fame come from?
What am I famous for? You know! As for you:
What made you famous: It is the money of a thief son who stole the bloody gold of a thief father.
Your fame:It is the tare of a burden filled with curses...."

Source: https://www.turkishliterature.net/sureyya-ilmenin-nazim-hikmete-actigi-hakaret-davasi/