Stories of Beykoz

 

Çeşm-i Bülbül (Eye of the Nightingale)

Çeşm-i Bülbül (Eye of the Nightingale) is a glassworking art that emerged at the end of the 18th century when Selim III sent Mehmet Dede, a Mevlevi dervish, to Venice to learn glass techniques. Mehmet Dede opened a workshop in Beykoz with the opal glass technique he learnt in Venice and developed çeşm-i bülbül by working on this technique. The person who popularised the production of this valuable product was Tophane Müşiri Fethi Ahmet Pasha.

Çeşm-i Bülbül is a product that is produced using special glazing technology and requires long processes and creativity. Its main feature is that thin and coloured glass rods are melted at high temperatures and placed in glass that has become like water. The "twisting lines" reflect the skill and style of the master who shaped this glass form. The products called Çeşm-i bülbül include various forms such as vases, jugs, sugar bowls, bowls and plates.

These works of art are of great value in terms of glass workmanship and aesthetics. Çeşm-i Bülbül is a rare and special example of Ottoman glass art and has an important place in Turkish culture.

Historical Kanlıca Yoghurt

Historical Kanlıca Yoghurt is an important flavour of Turkish cuisine. Kanlıca is a neighbourhood on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, on the shores of the Bosphorus. Kanlıca Yoghurt gained fame in this neighbourhood especially in the 19th century and has survived until today.

Kanlıca Yoghurt is a traditional type of yoghurt and has a distinctive taste and consistency. It has a fine texture and a slightly sour taste. This yoghurt is produced by using specially selected milk and a special fermentation method.

Traditionally, Kanlıca Yoghurt is made without flavouring with natural additives such as pine gum or goat horn gum. Sweeteners such as fruit, honey or sugar that can be added to yoghurt are not used. In this way, the natural taste and properties of yoghurt are preserved.

Kanlıca Yoghurt is consumed especially at breakfast, with desserts or with some meals. Since it has a light and refreshing flavour, it is a preferred food in hot summer months.

Kanlıca Yoghurt is an important part of Turkish cuisine and is among the traditional flavours of Istanbul. Kanlıca district has been an important centre for the production and consumption of this special yoghurt. Today, it is possible to find Kanlıca Yoghurt in many different places in Istanbul and visitors often stop by Kanlıca to try this flavour.

Istanbul's Last Dalyan

Until 30 years ago, there were more than 60 diving dives in Istanbul, but only 3 of them are left (large fishing places formed with nets and stakes near the shores of seas, lakes and rivers).

In Beykoz Dalyanı, which is known as the last dalyan of Istanbul, the movement started with the arrival of May. Fishermen are trying to catch fish in the Dalyan, which was created with nets and stakes in the middle of the Bosphorus. There are watchmen (vardacı, kapakçı) who can analyse the movements of the fish schools and know the timing well during the catch.

Evliya Çelebi describes the Beykoz fish traps as follows: "In front of the pier, they have erected five or six ship masts and connected them to each other, standing upright in the sea. At the top of the mast, there is a man sitting as a guard. When the swordfish, which has escaped the waves of the Black Sea, enters this harbor, the man on top of the mast throws the stone he holds into the sea after the swordfish. When the stone falls into the sea with a 'splash,' the poor fish start fleeing towards the harbor, thinking it is safe. They immediately enter through the mouth of the nets surrounding the sea. The lookout at the masthead starts shouting 'Ala!' (meaning 'Take it!') The fishermen then close the mouth of the fishing net and strike the swordfish left inside with spears and hammers to catch them. These fish are lazy fish that do not react to the sword they carry. When a long-nosed sword enters the hole in the net, it doesn't even have time to move. However, when cooked with garlic and vinegar tarator sauce, it becomes an exquisite dish. The fish from these traps are bought by the fish steward for seventy loads of akça (a currency in the Ottoman Empire)."

The tradition of fish trapping in Beykoz and certain areas of Istanbul will continue for many more years. This laborious method will be gradually abandoned among the various technologically advanced fishing techniques. Dalyan fishing is a method that closely embodies the concept of "kısmet," which represents the respect for nature in fishing. While today's fishing is done with sonars, in dalyan fishing, it depended on the skills of the watchers (vardacı, kapakçı) who could analyze the movements of fish schools and the experienced fishermen who could time the closing of the net's mouth and bring the fish into the boat without allowing them to escape. If a fish managed to escape the net, it was considered the fortune of the sea. Swordfish, tuna, and turbot meet the table, while the escaped fish continue their migration and return to the traps the following year, increasing the fish population.

Until the 1920s, the dalyans thrived in the Istanbul Strait, but after that period, their numbers decreased. However, they continued to exist in the Beykoz area for some time. Today, the last remaining dalyan in Istanbul is also located in Beykoz.

Jazzband at Beykoz Meadow - Year 1931

The cultural revolution sparked by World War I facilitated the spread of jazz from the United States to the rest of the world. In the 1920s, Istanbul had its first encounter with "cazbant," which refers to jazz orchestras. The photograph was taken in the summer of 1931 at Beykoz Çayırı, providing an example of how jazz quickly spread, even though it had only been heard in Istanbul for less than ten years.

The 1930s marked the golden age of jazz music worldwide. Scott Yanow, in his illustrated music encyclopedia, "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music," writes: "The period between 1935 and 1946 was a time when young people danced to jazz genre orchestras. Jazz orchestras occupied the place that today's pop musicians hold." This music, born in the city of New Orleans, USA, by African Americans, had reached Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. World War I had bombarded the traditional culture on the continent, and new and bold movements took over the art scene. European youths were captivated by this different sound that their parents referred to as "primitive black music."

After the war, Istanbul was occupied and experienced an influx of White Russians fleeing from the Bolshevik Revolution. The Western-style lifestyle in the city was immediately influenced by these new trends from Europe. Two pioneering figures of jazz in Istanbul were Russian immigrants. Russians were among the first to embrace jazz in Europe. Valentin Parnak (1891-1951), considered the father of Soviet jazz, started playing jazz in Moscow in the early 1920s and even recorded records before he would later be exiled to Siberia.

In his book "Caz Sanatı" (The Art of Jazz), the late İlhan Mimaroğlu mentions that a Turkish citizen named Leon Avigdor heard and fell in love with jazz in Paris in the 1920s, and together with Russian immigrants, they performed jazz in Istanbul. Nikolay (Kolya) Yakovlev, the Russian immigrant, was a pianist, and Leon Avigdor learned to play the alto saxophone. They formed a quartet called "Ronald's," including a drummer and a banjo player. They performed at Union Française and American Embassy parties in 1925-26. However, this quartet was primarily a dance orchestra, and they occasionally played tango as well.

Looking at advertisements from 1925, it can be seen that a cazband (jazz band) led by F. Thomas performed at Maksim Restaurant. According to Fikret Adil, the author of "Gardenbar Geceleri," Thomas, an African American, was married to a Russian. He had operated a restaurant in Moscow but closed it after the revolution and came to Istanbul to open Maksim Gazinosu. Adil states, "Istanbul truly listened to a jazz ensemble for the first time at Maksim. This jazz was played by an orchestra called '7 Palm Beach,' consisting of seven black musicians. They had decided to go on a journey and formed an orchestra to cover their expenses."