THE KAMONDO FAMILY AND THE BUILDINGS THEY BUILT IN ISTANBUL

The Kamondo Family is a Jewish banker family who lived in Istanbul and contributed greatly to the modernization of Istanbul.

Abraham Salomon de Kamondo, one of the important members of the family, played a major role in the establishment of the first municipality of Istanbul, the modernization of the infrastructure in the city and the formation of new educational institutions, as well as being one of the founders of modern banking. It has also pioneered significant investments in urbanism, architecture and culture.


When the famous banker, who had the Kamondo stairs built on Bankalar Caddesi in 1870-1880, died, he was buried with a state ceremony in the mausoleum he had built in Hasköy. In order to honor the family who contributed to the modernization of Istanbul so much, a plaque was nailed to the stairs in Karaköy Bankalar Street at a ceremony held with the participation of the Turkish Jewish Baths.


Among their most important initiatives were their partnerships with the bank named İshak Kamondo Şüreka, which they founded in 1815 and which financed the Ottoman Empire during the Crimean War, the Company-i Hayriye and the Dersaadet Tram Company, and their contributions to the establishment of the Sixth Office of the Municipality.


There are countless structures built by the Kamondo Family, who have made great contributions to Istanbul becoming such a modern city.


-Kasımpaşa’daki Kuzey Deniz Saha Komutanlığı (North Sea Area Command in Kasımpaşa)

-Serdar-ı Ekrem Sokak’taki Kamondo Hanı (Kamondo Inn on Serdar-ı Ekrem Street)

-Meşrutiyet Caddesi’ndeki Büyükada Han (Buyukada Han on Meşturiyet Street)

-Karaköy’de Saatçi Han (Saatci Han in Karakoy)

-Latif Han

-Lacivert Han

-Yakut Han

-(Kuyumcular Han)Jewellers Han

-Lüleli Han

-Gül Han

And the most well-known is the Kamondo Stairs on Bankalar Street.

Many buildings such as Kamondo have been bequeathed to Istanbul by the Kamondo Family.

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