Ottoman Armenians in one of the most important provinces of the empire: Bursa

Ottoman Armenians in one of the most important provinces of the empire: Bursa

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Vercihan Ziflioğlu

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

Bursa, also once called Hüdavendigar, was one of the most important provinces of the Ottoman Empire and was where the Patriarch of the Armenians resided. The city continues to be a center for commerce and tourism, especially well known for its hot springs

The national football match between Turkey and Armenia will be played in Bursa, a city with one of the highest populations of Armenians in the Marmara region during the Ottoman Empire.

Bursa is also known in history as one of the most important places for Armenians in terms of religion because the Patriarch resided there. There were many Armenian schools and monasteries in the province. Sultan Mehmet II, also known as “Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror,” focused on the Armenians of Bursa after he conquered Istanbul and brought Hovagim Golod, the Armenian Patriarch, to Istanbul. Mehmet II also brought Armenian artists and craftsmen to the new capital.

Bursa the capital

Last year, “Armenians in Turkey 100 years ago,” a detailed book featuring photographs and historical documents from the Carlo Calumeno, was released by Osman Köker through Birzamanlar Publishing. The book includes information on the history of Bursa. Köker spoke to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review about his research and said Bursa was among the Ottoman’s biggest provinces and its borders extended from the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea. “We see that 82,000 Armenians lived in Bursa before 1912, according to data by former Patriarch Mağakya Ormanyan,” said Köker. “There was an Armenian population of 10,000 in the capital city of Bursa and most of them lived in the districts known as Setbaşı, Kurtoğlu and Emirsultan. The Patriarchate was at Setbaşı anyway.”

A town of tourism and commerce

Bursa is an important city in history in an economic and social sense as well. The city attracted many tourists for its thermal springs in the past and continues to today. Zakarya Mildanoğlu, who researched Bursa’s economy, said: “Bursa is not a port city like İzmir but it is as important as that in commercial means. Nearly all the Anatolian caravan trails pass through Bursa.” Mildanoğlu said the city is also important for silkworm breeding, jewel crafting and the carpet trade. “Bursa is well known for its thermal springs alongside commerce. There are many hotels run by Armenians in Çekirge. Since Armenians were the most active group in business life, Hüdavendigar, the only official gazette of the province, was published in the Armenian alphabet,” he said.