Tobacco Paper | Sigara Kağıtları

During the ottoman era tobacco paper was imported from Italy and France and turned into booklets in small shops in the Tahtakale district. 

Mavi Boncuk |

SOURCE: The colourful world of cigarette paper packets

In Ziya Sakir's biography of Nuri Demirag[1], one of the first tycoons of the young Turkish Republic, we learn that he built his fortune on the cigarette paper trade. In 1919, Nuri Bey resigned from his civil service post and launched his first business venture with a capital of 56 Ottoman gold liras. He was not motivated solely by diverting funds from competitors who were financing separatist movements. Just out of the First World War on the losing side, the Ottoman Empire was on the verge of being carved up by the victorious European powers in league with opposition within the country. While Ataturk was rallying the independence movement in the provinces, Nuri Bey whipped up the patriotic spirit in Istanbul by hanging a sign outside his shop which read "Turkish Victory Cigarette Paper". The packages of his cigarette paper bore the same brand name, with a design of star, crescent and sun motifs. Roused by this message of hope, consumers in Anatolia flocked to buy the new brand of cigarette paper, and by the time the War of Independence led by Ataturk ended in victory in 1923, Muhurdarzade Nuri Bey's modest investment had multiplied to the grand total of 84,000 lira.



Long before they began to roll cigarettes the Ottomans had been firm devotees of tobacco[1], smoking it in the long pipes known as "cubuk", in "nargiles" or water pipes, wrapped in tobacco leaves or taken in the form of snuff. The rolled cigarette was invented in the 16th century by Spanish beggars, who used to collect cigar ends from the street, and roll the remaining tobacco into "cigarellos". The cigarette habit spread gradually across Europe, but did not take on in the Ottoman empire until the Crimean War (1853-56), when English soldiers were seen smoking cigarettes in Istanbul. As the Ottomans adopted this new method of smoking, shops and street barrows selling cigarette papers began to open in Tahtakale, still today the centre of Istanbul's stationery and paper trade.

Cigarettes were far easier to prepare than the troublesome "lule" for traditional pipes. This new field of commercial opportunity was largely in the hands of non-Muslim entrepreneurs, wealthy Muslim Ottomans traditionally holding commerce in disdain.

The advent of this new product provided a new medium for advertising and graphic art, as well as a host of newfangled paraphernnalia for cigarette smokers.

Upper class women afraid of staining their delicate white fingers with tar acquired tiny silver cigarette tongs, while their husbands and brothers equipped themselves with elegant cigarette holders, tobacco boxes, flint boxes and other requisites for the new fashion. The humbler classes learnt the art of neatly arranging the tobacco between two fingers and rolling it swiftly into cigarettes.

Connoisseurs had always prided themselves on being able to distinguish tobacco by its color, smell and cut, but when it came to choosing cigarette paper the wrapper was all they had to go by. The producers made full use of this opportunity to attract customers, and the naive graphic art of the period created a new genre of designs which rivalled stamps and postcards in colour and diversity.

At a time when the world was in a state of flux as war followed war, and scientific inventions were bringing dramatic changes into people's lives, the packets of cigarette papers functioned as a vehicle of communication. A multitude of messages and pictures referring to people and events reached the remotest corners of the Ottoman Empire, addressing literate and illiterate alike.

In 1985 a series of three fascinating articles by Dr.R.Anhegger appeared in Tarih ve Toplum (History and Society) magazine (the March, April and May issues), entitled "Reflection of an Era in Cigarette Papers".

Much more still remains to be discovered about the producers of cigarette papers between 1860 and 1925, when the tobacco industry was nationalised, and about the hundreds of different designs and slogans on the packets. The designs were conceived primarily as a symbolic image which smokers, the majority of whom were illiterate, would be likely to recall and put a name to.

While Prince and Napoleon were names put to imported cigarette paper brands, those produced in Anatolia were known as Diamond, Crescent, Wrestler, Soldier, Rabbit, Fez, Monogram, King, Ship, Flag and so on. When recommending a particular brand to a friend, a smoker began to use these names: "Acrobat is the best!", or "Scissors do not go out," they might remark. Greek producers tended to appeal to religious and national values by usings such emblems as the seal of Solomon, the Israelite flag, or quotations from the Psalms.

Greek and Armenians preferred pictures of their community's institutions, such as orphanages, hospitals and schools. Those intended for the Turkish market, meanwhile, bore pictures of flags, minarets, warships, Nasreddin Hodja, Sultan Selim, Barbarossa, Sultan Resad and so on. The slogans were variously in Ottoman Turkish, Arabic. Hebrew, Greek, Armenian, or a combination of these, and conveyed such enigmatic messages as: "Those who use this cigarette paper will protect their national trade and their bodies from sickness."

Rhymes were also popular:
"Light up a cigarette and you will see Never will its glow extinguished be
That is why no other will do
o Kehnemuyi paper I remain true."

Sometimes the message was more direct:
"Either use Turkish Hero to roll your cigarettes, or give up smoking."

But competition was so fierce, that soon slogans proved inadequate, and the companies started offering free gifts, organising lotteries, or printing messages which appealed to nationalist feelings, social conscience and even religious faith.
"Esteemed gentlemen users of tobacco! We recommend that you use the Katalan brand of cigarette paper, which offers the chance to win free gifts. Not only are these papers superior to the general type in mellowness and purity, but from each packet you may win watches, chains, electric lamps, socks and many other diverse and valuable gifts of the like. Please beware of imitations by scrutinising the photography and seal carefully." Another in Greek reads, "Choose the cigarette papers of the Epirus Educations Support Society in preference to any other. They are of superior quality and best for the health. By buying these papers you will be making a valuable contribution to the educational needs of Epirus."

(In Armenian) "Cilicia has a paper bearing its own name which is superior in quality to other brands." (In Ottoman Turkish) "Efezade and Sakalak. Long live the homeland! Using Young Turk cigarette papers is a symbol of liberty for every Ottoman. Those who possess liberty and support the Young Turks, carry their name with them in exaltation of their cause. Those who actively contribute to the interests of the nation love those who serve the interests of their country. (In Ottoman Turkish): "Honoured citizens! Would you like to gladden the soul of Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha, who menaced the enemy with our navy? Do you want to defend our sacred homeland from the enemy? Do not refrain from aiding the Ottoman Naval Society. Our paper is an eternal memento of the late pasha." (In Ottoman Turkish) "Oriental Cigarette Paper Factory. Esteemed citizen. While you are smoking your cigarette, remember the poor, hungry refugees who have fled their country to escape the oppression of the enemy and taken refuge under the shadow of the Crescent, and do not forget the economic worth of the smoke which billows before you.

Therefore, instead of spending your money on other brands, use this paper which is produced for the benefit of those poor wretches, thereby both protecting your health by its high quality, and performing a patriotic duty."

(In Ottoman Turkish) "Orphan Paper. Between drawings of two abject children O generous-hearted! Compassion for orphans is a virtue incumbent upon you. Purchasing this paper to assist the orphans entrusted to us by those killed in action is a service every Muslim owes his country." If you ever come across any old cigarette paper packets, you will know that they tell a story about. [1] Nuri Demirbağ was born in 1886 in the town of Sivas. Mühürzade Nuri was one of the most famous businessmen of Turkish history. He was the son of Mühürzade Ömer Bey and came from the gentry of Divriği Town. He was known as Mühürzade Nuri until he got his last name “Demirağ” from Atatürk. Mühürzade Nuri, also known as Nuri Bey, also passed the examination organized by the Ministry of Finance. He ended up working at various levels of the Ministry and would later become an inspector for the Ministry. The obvious next step was the entrepreneurship.





See also: Sigara Kağıtları| Toplumsal Tarih Dergisi Sayı: 68 


[1] American tobacco was called tabaka, tabaga, officially as duhan[*] ve halk arasında by public as tütün.First plantation was at Milas in 1683.Towards the end of 17th century the empire had 6 types of tobacco:Macedonian yenice and vardar yenicesi, Filibe Valley's kırcaali,Aegean milas, Aleppo/Damascus regions imadiye and cebeliye. Based of quality classified as âlâ, evsât and ednâ, yenice and vardar yenicesi being the best. Plantation was 80% in the Roumelia and 20% in Anatolia. During 1696 there were 366 shops in istanbul located in Suriçi(inside city walls), Galata, Tophane, Eyüp and Üsküdar. They formed a trade union/brotherhood in 1726 and shops grew to 1709 in 1782. Tobacco shops requested and established a closed membership by royal decree reaching 1744 in 1831. illegal operation cutting leaves for tobacco called "kefilsiz kıyıcı" continued to sell suspect adulterated tobacco "terbiyeli tütün" maintained a parallel existence. 

Earthenware (red soil) tobacco holder makers (lüleciler) were operating during the first half of 18th Century in in Suriçi(inside city walls), Galata, Eyüp and Üsküdar, accepted to the trade union of Tophane in 1755’te .They were called Tophane lüle: kalıp , Kasımpaşa lüle: harç lüle or mıkras lüle, out of town makers of lüle: çark lülesi and were made with potters earth from Vize, Davutpaşa, Fener and Beyoğlu (kule dibi). 

 Around mid 19.th century new classifications were adopted. These were: 
1.st Class Tobacco:  taşlık, aynalı, halifeler. Generally called göbek and baled in white cloth: beyaz bohça. Imported from Iran the water bottle tobacco tömbeki[**] was also considered first class. 
2.nd Class Tobacco: ortaköyler, karşıyaka, kurudere, karacakoyun kenevir bohça (jute bale). 
3.rd Class Tobacco: Nemed dizi, basma, pürsıçan, demirlibasma, parçalık aand called dağ. 

4.th Class Tobacco: kırcaali, kızıldeli, meştaniye, kamarlı, dombasar and şâgur. Tobacco paper manufacturing started at Beykoz Hamidiye Kağıt Fabrikası in 1887. 

Further reading (in Turkish)

[*](Serbian): dùvān from Ottoman Turkish دخان ‎(duhân), from Arabic دُخَان ‎(duḵān). [**] tömbeki:[ Ahmet Vefik Paşa, Lugat-ı Osmani, 1876] tömbeki: Tahrifle Farisīye naklolunmuş kelimedir. Aslı tabako, tütün. from Persian tunbak تنبك dürüm, lavaş parçasına dolanarak alınan lokma, tulum from persian tanbīdan تنبيدن burmak, dürmek TR; to roll EN.