Quais de Smyrne | Smyna Port

"Asian and European, Greek and Turkish, Christian and Muslim – cannot be categorized. Even its name is of mixed origin. As Istanbul comes from the Greek eis teen polis, into the city, so Izmir comes from eis teen Smyrna, into Smyrna...The arrival of consuls confirmed that Izmir was becoming international and by 1630 it had Venetian, Dutch, English and French consuls. The French consul lived like a king, with his own Janissary guards, keeping open house for visiting Frenchmen and running an elaborate and profitable system to buy back Turkish slaves captured by the Knights of Malta. 

In the 1670s the great Ottoman writer Evliya Celebi was impressed by the wealth of the Franks and the power of the consuls: “The ships of the Franks come so often that half of the city of Izmir is like Firengistan [Europe]. If someone hits an infidel, everyone immediately surrounds him and takes him and brings him to the consular judge or the infidels execute him... the Muslim people become invisible so... it seems a dark Frank place.”

Evliya praised Izmir as the most celebrated port in the empire because of the number of ships loading and unloading. When foreign fleets sailed in from Marseille, Amsterdam or London, thousands of small boats rushed out, eager to cut out the middle man, and exchange the produce of Asia – silk and camel hair, opium, fresh mastic, grapes and figs – for the manufactures of Europe: cloth, tin and household goods such as mirrors, plates, needles and knives. Izmir was where Asia came shopping for Europe, and vice versa. It was also the hub of a vast network of land routes by camel and mule train. Caravans from Aleppo or Persia might have 1,500 camels. People had to stand aside in the lanes as they passed, or knelt for unloading. But even the main street of the Frank district, parallel to the coast, was dirty, ill-paved and narrow with a gutter down the middle. There were no large streets or squares...

The population grew from 5,000 in 1600 to 100,000 in 1700 – perhaps seven Turks to two Greeks, one Armenian and one Jew. In the 18th century, France dominated the foreign trade, as it did the foreign relations, of the Ottoman empire. Between 1748 and 1789 one in four ships leaving Marseille went to Izmir – the biggest of all ports for French international trade, and the largest and wealthiest port in the Ottoman empire. (There are still businessmen living in Izmir, members of the Guys, Pagy[*] and Giraud families, whose ancestors came there in the 18th century; though they now feel they are the last of their kind.) “Smyrna, what wealth!” said Tsar Alexander I to Napoleon I’s ambassador in 1808, as they were planning the partition of the Ottoman empire.

As it became richer and larger in the 19th century, Izmir began to regard itself as the lighthouse of the Ottoman empire. Against British opposition, a new quay and port were was built by the great French firm of Dussaud Frères in 1869-75; the biggest such project in Ottoman history. Soon the Cordon was lined with warehouses, offices and elegant hotels, cafés and theatres: Café de Paris, the Sporting Club, the Hotel Kraemer, the Hôtel des Deux Augustes." 

Philip Mansel (www.philipmansel.com) wrote, among other books, Constantinople: City of the World’s Desire 1453-1924, John Murray, London, 1995, and Sultans in Splendour: the Last Years of the Ottoman World, Andre Deutsch, London, 1988; he is currently working on a history of Levantine cities

[*] preeminent French families of Napolitan origin in trade and banking allied with other important families in similar sectors, such as: Salzani, Cousinery, Coutourier, Pagy, Alleon etc. SOURCE

On the heights to the north it is believed that was the location for the tomb of King Tantalos. George. E. Bean in his book Aegean Turkey mentions that this tomb of VIth century B.C. could be of a governor or an high officer assigned by the Persians.

Due to the foundation of a new Smyrna by Alexander’s general Lyssimachos at Mount Pagos (today Kadifekale) Bayraklı lost its importance in ancient times.

In the middle of the XVII century, the Sublime Porte (the Ottoman government) put into an effect a policy of promoting Izmir as the exclusive port of the Western Anatolia to trade with the international market and accordingly went about to improve its infrastructures, docks, warehouses and customs houses. 

The port that suffered due the Izmir’s rise was Chios and many Chiot merchant families which had considerable experience and excellent organization in the sea trade from the 1700’s began to install themselves in Izmir. 

These Chiots traders, shipowners, charterers with their own commercial houses in the most important Mediterranean ports, will, according to Gelina Harlaftis (the Chiot phases), attain by the end of the XVIIIth century, the number of 500 Chiot firms active in Izmir. Due to its strong links with Western Europe, the port of Izmir having a return cargo had lower freight rates in comparison of other ports which could be even in nearest distance to the Syrian and Persian markets, such as the ports of Beirut and Iskenderun (Alexandretta).

The first railways of the Ottoman Empire, the Izmir – Aydın Railways (1860) and the Izmir-Kasaba (Turgutlu) Railways (1866) which the English had in concession were transferring the agricultural products of the hinterland to the port. The famous camels caravans which were depicted in many engravings representing old Izmir were still in function servicing mainly from the hinterland to the railway stations and the port. The Quais tramways also assisted the transporting of merchandise in the evenings.

Smyrna needed a proper port. 

In 1875 Edward Baltazzi already submitted a proposal to the Ottoman Government to operate vessels within and out the gulf creating a liaison with Karşıyaka, Menemen, Göztepe, Karataş, Urla, Foça, Çandarlı, Dikili, Ayvalık. The concession required was for 25 years and the flag would have been Ottoman. However as the Government was engaged to develop their Aziziye Company with similar projects, Baltazzi received a reply that a temporary permission without exclusive rights could be only granted and this until Aziziye starts its services. The two parts did not come then into an agreement and this project was not realized. 

Finally the famous Quais of Izmir were terminated in 1876 by the French Dussault Brothers Company allowing high tonnage ships to dock.

In 1893 the Belgians founded the Compagnie Ottomane des Eaux de Smyrne which improved the infrastructure of conveyance of water to the city and its neighborhoods. The Izmir – Aydin railways between the years 1897 – 1898 carried 299,000 tons of merchandise and 2.236,000 passengers and the Izmir – Kasaba (Turgutlu) line which became in 1893 a French concession was extended to Afyon in 1898. 

SOURCE

Quay development had a fundamental impact on late nineteenth-century Eastern Mediterranean urban space. Large-scale development of the waterfront created not only a new facade for Izmir and Thessaloniki, but also precipitated new usages of urban space and modes of transport, labor, and leisure. They also led to a perceived bifurcation of the urban space into modernized and non-modernized quarters.

"Port cities are distinguished from other cities by their waterfronts, which were shaped by economic and cultural transactions between each city and its networks. Trade-related activities prepared the conditions for accelerated globalization with economic changes. The Ottoman Empire supported commerce and production in Western Anatolia after 16th century. Many European merchants thus moved to Izmir in accord with an agreement made by the Ottoman Empire in order to maintain commercial events. Afterwards, the city developed as a culturally diverse entity due to its port activity. The waterfront and arguably the whole structure of the city have been influenced by cross cultural exchanges. Study explains how shifting networks have created a unique palimpsest of structures and actor networks between 16th and 21st century in Izmir, a port city on western coast in Turkey. This paper explores the transformation of Izmir’s urban form and identity. Different architectural practices such as Dutch, British, French, Italian, Greek were concretized on Izmir’s waterfront and have become a part of the city’s identity. Nevertheless, political decisions, governmental policies, fires, earthquakes, planned and unplanned events changed the waterfront and caused gaps in history told by its built environment. This study analyses the vicissitudes in the planning history of Izmir’s waterfront.

The inner port was not suitable for handling and loading facilities anymore in 16th century25 as mentioned before. Therefore the idea of renewal of the port became important in 186026. John Charnaud, George Guarracino and Alfred Barker from Britain founded a company to build a new port for Izmir in 1867. Mentioned group was agreed with the Dussaud Frères, who were in charge to built Cherbourg and Marseille Ports.

As Evliya Celebi described Izmir in 1671: “There are 260 enormous ports and cities where goods are loaded and unloaded under the reign of Ottomans. However Izmir is more famous than all of these cities. Because there are 18 non muslim kings that became friends with the Ottomans all over the world, and they all have consulate in Izmir Their traders bring over all kind of commodities and products of all nations to Izmir. A thousand ships come to Izmir and a thousand of ships leave Izmir, and all the commodity is sold here every year.” Along those years Izmir had 40 café houses, 200 taverns and entertainment places, and 300 warehouses for traders."

Tanis, Fatma. “The Lost Identity of Izmir”. In Carola Hein (ed.) International Planning History Society Proceedings, 17th IPHS Conference, History Urbanism-Resilience, TU Delft 17-21 July 2016, V.01 p.381, TU Delft Open, 2016.

See also:  “Ottoman Izmir: The Rise of a Cosmopolitan Port 1840–1880” written by Sibel Zandi-Sayek.

The Lausanne conference | Turkey and foreign companies

(Le Journal des debates, June 9, 1923)

Press release

Turk of Lausanne denies the recent information that negotiations with

foreign companies would risk breaking up and thus summarizes the state of the talks

The agreement is made with the following companies:

Constantinople Tunnel and Smyrna Quays Company (French capital)

Turkey | Budget discussion | (Le Journal des debates, December 27, 1923)

In a session held on September 24, the National Assembly approved the report

of the public works commission advising the outright rejection of the provisional law

drafted by the former Ottoman government, concerning the purchase by it of the line

Smyrna-Cassaba * railway, its Panderma-Soma extension, as well as the

Smyrna, acquisition which was to imply the cancellation of the concessions relating thereto.

 

Turkey | The receiver of the Société des quais de Smyme 

(Le Journal des debates, February 14, 1932) Telegraphed from Constantinople:

Following the seizure of the receiver of the Société des quais de Smyrne, in which

French capital is committed, the local press has received telegrams from Smyrna

individuals announcing the arrest of MM. Guiffray and Jourdan, directors; Perret,

accountant of the company, French nationals, who would be accused of abuse,

embezzlement, false writings, and who would have been guilty of corruption of

Turkish officials. The legal counsel was also arrested. Emin bey, commissioner

government, prosecuted for facilitating the abuses, is said to have fled to Europe.

The investigation continues.

https://www.entreprises-coloniales.fr/proche-orient/Quais_de_Smyrne.pdf

Mavi Boncuk |

Société des Quais de Smyrne | Smyrne, 1 June 1919, 6 % Bond for 500 Francs, #4829, 19 x 36.2 cm, brown, black, rest of coupons, vertical folds, otherwise EF, Drumm/Henseler/Glasemann TR 2670, R6, this company was not in the collection of Jens Scheele!

(EXCERPT) The making of an Ottoman port The quay of Izmir in the nineteenth century

Elena Frangakis-Syrett, Queens College, City University of New York

In 1889, with the harbour infrastructure in place, the British consul stationed in Izmir noted the economic dynamism of the city port:

“Although, officially, the district of Smyrna [Izmir] only comprises the province of Aidin [Aydin], yet virtually its commercial influence extends over the most fertile portion of Asia Minor, including the provinces of Konia [Konya] and Adalia [Antalya], and parts of Angora [Ankara], Broussa [Bursa] and Adana besides the whole of the Turkish Archipelago. This commercial influence is yearly increasing …7” 

The quay was in many respects a local project, born out of local needs, given the continuous increase in trade and shipping in the port of Izmir.

Carpets, figs, fruits and dried fruits, cereals, valonia, silk, mohair, galls, tobacco, oliveoil, opium, oranges and lemons, picked mastic, rose and orange waters, trees, sponges from the Greek Archipelago brought in Smyrna and cleaned for exportation, drugs and gums, emery stone (in Reid Hugh, op. cit.) and liquorice root, so profitable in the trade that the British built a factory in Sӧke. 

It was initiated locally in the cities of Istanbul and Izmir, in the Ottoman Empire, and even financed locally at first. Both the initial concessionaires, J. H. Charnaud, A. Barker and G. Guarracino, as well as the board of directors of the Smyrna Quay Company set up in 1868, namely A. Cousinéry, Baron Alliotti, P. Alliotti, E. de Creamer, F. Charnaud, K. Abro, A. Spartali and A. Alliotti,  with the exception of Cousinéry, who was French, were either British in origin or had British nationality; they were also long-term members of the city’s business community. Despite subsequent bitter antagonism between the British community and diplomats, in its origins the quay was a British project. Aware that their plans might impinge upon the ‘vested rights or private interests’ of the owners of property on the sea front, including wharfs and warehouses, the three concessionaires actively sought the agreement and support of the business community, as well as the ‘assistance’ of British diplomats in both Istanbul and Izmir. Very early on, however, they became aware that the British consul in Izmir was going to be no friend of the project even when it was still in British hands. 

Port construction In 1880, when the project was finally completed, it consisted of a quay in the form of a retaining wall made of cut stones and extending 4 km along the shoreline.18 It started at the imperial barracks and ended by the wharf of the Aydin railway station at the Pointe, that is, from one end of the city to the other. This retaining wall, which was 15 m above sea level, was constructed approximately 50 m offshore from the pierhead of the old harbor. The area between the retaining wall and the old shoreline was filled with rubble, quarried locally by the company, and paved over with cut stones, forming a quay 18 m wide on which a dual-track tramway was built that led from the Customs House (on the side of the imperial barracks) to the Aydin railway station.

Two thousand meters of sewer pipes in total were laid, at regular intervals, to carry sewage from the city, through the wall and into the sea. Besides the quay, two artificial harbors were constructed with 1,250 m of stone breakwaters: one, known nowadays as the inner harbor and at the time as port d’abri, was completely sheltered; the other was smaller and less sheltered, being open to the sea at the southern end. The larger harbor covered an area of some fifty acres and was bigger than the Port de la Joliette in Marseilles, also constructed by Dussaud. It consisted of four breakwaters, totalling in length 1,050 m and forming an irregularly shaped triangle, 200 m long on the south side, 450 m long on the west side and 400 m long on the north side. The northern side of the harbor was broken by a 100 m gap to enable ships to enter. There was a red light on the right-hand side of the entrance (going in) and a green light on the left.

The Role of Imperial and Local Authorities on the Construction of Ports of Smyrna and Thessaloniki

Ceylan Irem Gencer

The shore of Smyrna before port construction (Archive of Izmir Municipality

Construction of the Port of Smyrna

Construction of Smyrna Port has been one of the earliest examples of big scale urban renovation projects of Ottoman Empire. At that time, railroad construction projects were mostly being applied with the help of European countries and supply of foreign capital (Oberling, 1986: 316). In mid XIX th century, the shore of Smyrna consisted of customs house –initially built during the XVII th century by the Porte as a sign of domination over Smyrna’s international trade activities-, and several wharfs projecting into the sea from the houses of foreign consulates. As Admiral Hobart, head of the British naval mission in Turkey stated, Smyrna is “an open port, exposed to winds from more than half of the points of the compass, with shores much unprotected” (Oberling, 1986: 316). In 1866, the governance of the city decided for the construction of a quay at the shore. Governor Sabri Pasha who had governed Smyrna between 1867-68 also played an important role in concluding the negotiations between the Porte and investors of the project (Yerolympos, 1996: 62).

In 1867, three British tradesmen residing in Smyrna required permission from the Sublime Porte for the construction of Smyrna harbor. According to the terms of concession, in five years the contractor company would erect a line of quays 19 meters wide and about 3,5kilometers long along the present shore. It would also undergo the filling of the shore for the new construction. The company was also able to run a tramway line running along the quays. 

The building materials would be obtained free of charge from government-owned lands. Moreover, although the Sublime Porte was able to receive royalties up to 12 % of the revenues, the contractor company would be able to levy a tax on all goods loaded and unloaded in the new port. After 30 years, the quays would be reverted to the government without any payment. (Oberling, 1986: 316-17) Construction of quays brought up an ownership issue: the sea of Smyrna Port belonged to the government (waqf of the Sultan). Land gained from the sea after the filling operation would still belong to the waqf; however it could be sold to those who are willing to buy. Besides, after the sea is filled, the properties at the previous shoreline would stay inland; therefore those landowners at the shore would be able to buy the new land formed in front of them.(Kütükoğlu, 2000: 502)In 1868, a joint stock company,

Société des Quais de Smyrne, was established by Smyrniote merchants, landowners and bankers. The company, after the interference of French consul in Smyrna, hired Dussaud Brothers from Marseille to undertake construction work (Oberling,1986: 317). The constructers were engineers experienced in port construction in several Mediterranean cities: Ports of Brest, Toulon and Cherbourg in France; Port Nuovo of Trieste(Italy), Suez and Said ports in Egypt and Port of Algeria were all constructed by Dussaud Brothers (Oberling, 1986: 317).

Although the company started to work immediately in 1868, it had to face many complications. As foreign companies played an important role in Smyrna’s trade activities, they protested the tax to be taken by Société des Quais de Smyrne from all goods passing through the Customs (Kütükoğlu, 2000: 507). This caused hostility among Smyrna’s merchants, and the company had a difficulty in selling its shares, which was going to be itsmain source of income (Oberling, 1986: 317). The Sublime Porte’s efforts to solve the problem by changing the contract to create a “tax free zone” made matters even worse. In1869, the company was unable to fulfill its obligations to Dussaud Brothers and it was bankrupted (Oberling, 1986: 318). As a result, Dussauds bought the company with all its rights and privileges and resumed the construction of the port (Oberling, 1986: 319).

During the construction, the quays -which would act as a breakwater- had to be erected first, only then the sea could be filled. Until the space between the old shore and the new quays are filled, the water collected there became filthy because of the sewage once pumped into the bay. Besides, the small railway built by Dussauds to carry building materials caused congestion in the densely populated areas of the city (Oberling, 1986: 321). 

Against all odds, the company was able to finish the construction in 1875. The port with its modern facilities ,quays with management, commercial and residential areas soon became the new center of the city.

KONAK PIER 

It was designed in 1890 by Architect Charles Sauvestre[*] and possibly engineered by  Gustave Eiffel,[**] to function as a customs building.. 

[*]Charles Léon Stephen Sauvestre (26 December 1847 - 18 June 1919)  was born in Bonnétable, Sarthe in France in 1847. His father Charles Sauvestre was a writer, socialist, activist and teacher and his mother was a housewife. He graduated with first class honors from École Spéciale d'Architecture in 1868. He died in 1919.

Sauvestre contributed to the design of the Eiffel Tower. He also chose the color of the tower. He received the support of Gustave Eiffel who bought the rights to the patent on the design which he had filed together with Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier. 

He was also the head of the Architecture department Compagnie des Etablissements Eiffel.

By Vecdia - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49411069

[**] The design of the Eiffel Tower is attributed to Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, two senior engineers working for the Compagnie des Établissements Eiffel. It was envisioned after discussion about a suitable centrepiece for the proposed 1889 Exposition Universelle, a world's fair to celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution. Eiffel openly acknowledged that inspiration for a tower came from the Latting Observatory built in New York City in 1853. In May 1884, working at home, Koechlin made a sketch of their idea, described by him as "a great pylon, consisting of four lattice girders standing apart at the base and coming together at the top, joined together by metal trusses at regular intervals". Eiffel initially showed little enthusiasm, but he did approve further study, and the two engineers then asked Stephen Sauvestre, the head of company's architectural department, to contribute to the design. Sauvestre added decorative arches to the base of the tower, a glass pavilion to the first level, and other embellishments.