Neohori, on the Bosporus

My great grandfather, Yiorgo came to Constantinople at the turn of the century to make his fortune as a grocer in a village along the banks of the Bosporus named Neohori or Yenikoy, in Turkish, which means New Village.  Later, he handed the business over to his son Panayiotis, my maternal grandfather, who brought his family from our ancestral home in Northern Epirus to join him. My mother and her two siblings have fond memories of growing up in Neohori in the 1920s and 1930s.  The few Greeks who are left in the villages along the Bosporus remind us of a  multicultural and more  tolerant City.  Unfortunately, the once vibrant Greek community is only a pale shadow of its former self.   On the banks of villages like Neohori Greek fishermen and farmers have eked out a living on the margins of history in Istanbul. There were also pockets of Armenians and Jews here and there. In the 19th century, although located next to the City, villages like Neohori remained distant, accessible only by kaikia (boats) or by horse. The overcrowding, lack of hygiene and epidemics, not to mention the unbreathable atmosphere within the walls of the City in the summer months made these villages attractive to foreign ambassadors, Phanariotes, and Turkish pashas who built grand villas on the shores of the Bosporus emblematic of their luxurious lifestyle and refined tastes. These vacation homes,  always constructed of wood, were called "giali." The giali changed not only the appearance but also the social reality of the villages. The Greek fishermen and farmers lived adjacent to members of a multinational aristocracy and bourgeoisie that transformed these villages into affluent resorts.  As Greeks from Northern Epirus began to migrate to these villages they were nicknamed Arvanitochori.  Mixing with Greeks from Thrace and the Aegean islands, they rekindled the Roman character of the area.

In doing the research for this post I discovered that my favorite Greek poet, Constantine Kavafy  lived in Neohori for three years as an adolescent. His mother Harikleia Fotiadou came from a Constantinopolitan family and after the death of Kavafy's father, the family's serious economic straits brought them from Egypt to Constantinople.  Kavafy fell in love with the panoramas and the natural beauty that the village was surrounded by.  In particular he loved to walk in the green hills and along,  the seaside promenades between Neohori and Therapies, which remain the finest the Bosphorus has to offer.

For the current residents of the City, Yenikoy,  is synonymous with expensive restaurants, cafes, confectioneries, villas and beaches. The Greek population began to wither in the 60s replaced by an influx of well to do Turks.  Every Easter the small congregations of the two active churches, Panagia Koumariotissa and Agios Nikoloas celebrate the Resurrection service and the mixed congregation of Greek, Russian and other Orthodox faithful wander home with lighted candles to their homes. Young bystanders stare at them, perplexed, with benign curiosity: "Why carry lit candles? Celebrating something? they ask oblivious of the areas former character.

The soul of the community is Lakis Vigkas, chairman of the Association of Graduates of Zografeiou Lyceum (one of the major Greek schools of Constantinople). He looks after  a small enclave of elderly men and women and  a few Greek entrepreneurs and their families who stubbornly persist  in the City. Despite the hectic pace of his work,  he is actively involved in  renovation projects at the Churches and Greek cemetery,  looking after the elderly members of the community, chanting in church on Sundays and organizing cultural events.   "I belong to the new generation, but I carry the memories of old,"  he says. He explains the anguish of  rescuing the physical memory of a once vibrant community. "If you lose a cemetery, you've a lost chapter in the history of Romiosini." Father of three children, Lakis looks to the future. "Young people, descendants of former residents, are returning to settle in the City," he says with a tone of optimism.  Perhaps this  new blood may overcome the stereotypes and wounds of the past and thereby help Romiosini survive in the city of its birth. 

Το Nιχώρι   

Ξένε, σαν δης ένα χωριό όπου γελάει η φύσις,
κ’ εις κάθε πλάτανο κοντά που κρύπτεται μια κόρη
ωραία σαν το τριαντάφυλλο — εκεί να σταματήσης·
                έφθασες, ξένε, στο Νιχώρι.

Κι όταν το βράδυ έλθη, αν βγης έξω να περπατήσης
και βρης εμπρός σου καρυδιές, στον δρόμο μη προχώρει
του ταξιδιού σου πια. Aλλού ποιον τόπο θα ζητήσης
                καλύτερον απ’ το Νιχώρι.

Τέτοια δροσιά δεν έχουνε αλλού στον κόσμο οι βρύσεις,
των λόφων του την αρχοντιά αλλού δεν έχουν όρη·
και με της γης την μυρωδιά μονάχα θα μεθύσης,
                ολίγο αν μείνης στο Νιχώρι.

Την πρασινάδα που θα δης εκεί να μην ελπίσης
που σ’ άλλο μέρος θα την βρης. Aπ’ το βουνό θεώρει
τους κάμπους κάτω και ειπέ πώς να μην αγαπήσης
                αυτό μας το μικρό Νιχώρι.

Πως αγαπώ υπερβολές, ω ξένε, μη νομίσης.
Υπάρχουν τόποι εύφοροι πολλοί και καρποφόροι.
Πλην έχουν κάτι χωριστό, και συ θα ομολογήσης,
                καρποί και άνθη στο Νιχώρι.

Εάν στης Κουμαριώτισσας της Παναγίας θελήσης
την εκκλησία να μπης μ’ εμέ, φανατικός συγχώρει
αν είμ’ εκεί. Άλλην, θαρρώ, χάριν οι παρακλήσεις
                έχουνε στο πιστό Νιχώρι.

Aν δε να μείνης δεν μπορής, πριν, ξένε, αναχωρήσης
πρέπει να πας μια Κυριακή στην σκάλα στου Γρηγόρη·
ειρήνη, νιάτα, και χαρά θα δης, και θα εννοήσης
                τι είναι αυτό μας το Νιχώρι.

(Από τα Κρυμμένα Ποιήματα 1877)

Comments

[AntigoneSis]

Stavros,
About 15 years ago, I enjoyed some nice outings with friends/relatives in Ortakoy (old city), which I assume is adjacent to Yenikoy (?) Lots of nice restaurants and bars. I also spent several afternoons roaming up and down the Izmir waterfront looking at the old homes and imagining what life was like back then.
After learning more about your family's history, I can see why the movie 'Politiki Kouzina' has such a special meaning for you!

[Stavros]

AntigoneSis,

Yenikoy (Neohori) is south of Ortakoy on the European side of the Bosporus.

My maternal great grandparents and my grandfather are buried in the Orthodox cemetery in Neohori. Yes, Politiki Kouzina struck a few chords when I saw it as I am sure Izmir (Smyrna) might have done the same for you.

These faraway places are a part of us and regardless of who owns them now, we carry them around with us in our brain and in our heart.

[Taxidiotis]

Useful infos really! I am writting in a blog about Constantinople, too. Our memories are strong (www.eistinpolin.wordpress.com).

[Stavros]

ΕΥΓΕ, your blog is very well done and I intend to show it to my 93 year old Uncle who grew up in Neohori first chance I get. Our memories are indeed strong.

[Rengim]

My grandmother's family came from Serbia in the beginning of the 19th century and settled in Yenikoy. They had to sell the house in the 70s due to economic reasons and she hasn't been back yet after marrying my grandfather (a more recent emigre from Bulgaria) and moving to Ankara. But my grandmother and her sisters love to tell stories about her times in Yenikoy and the time she spent with her Greek neighbors. During the Istanbul Pogrom her family hid their closest neighbors and became even closer to them. Although the family has moved back to Greece she's still in contact with them and three years ago we went to visit them. I ended up being in a long term relationship with their grandson (twist of fate!) and we're still really good friends and he's thinking of moving to Istanbul (though Yenikoy is very much above he's price range!).

So even though I'm a Turk living in Turkey I really do understand that heavy historic feeling you get when you walk along the same stones that have existed for centuries and that your ancestors have also walked on. Yenikoy has a very special meaning for my family and especially my grandmother and she would love your article just as I have! I should translate it for her thank you very much!

[Stavros]

Rengim,

I am glad you like this post. Coincidently, my 95 year old uncle Elias is staying with us and I showed him your comment. It made him very happy. He was in Yenikoy last year to visit the graves of my great grandfather and grandfather. He wanted me to mention the corner grocery store that once belonged to my grandfather (Bakal Dukani Gellati nin) near the main street (Koybasi) where the ferry arrives. Forgive my misspelled Turkish words.

God willing he and I will walk the streets of his hometown together in the near future. Best wishes to you and your grandparents.

If you ever get around to translating this post please send it to me and I will publish it on my blog.

Cok tesekur ederim

[sarapci]

AntigoneSis and Stavro,

Thanks for a nice post. I live not far from Yenikoy (Neochori).

Just a correction if you don't mind: Ortakoy means Central Village and it is located to the south of Yenikoy about 10 km closer to the old city.

In between is another Greek village called Arnavutkoy with a still functioning church.

[Stavros]

Sarapci,

You are lucky to live in such a nice spot. I am glad you liked this post. My Mother and her siblings had good memories of growing up there. I am hoping that I can see it soon for myself.

Thanks for taking the time to comment and for the info.

[M. K. (Bounatsas) Lagod]

My relatives, Bounatsas's came from and settled in America.

[mano]

Hi there
Can anyone remember Domani restaurant by the boat landing(vapur iskelesi).It was run by a man called Hasan in late 60s.We used to visit it often for extended english lectures. Also Dr Alexis Miliopoulos lived there for some time before he moved to Greece with his family.He used to practice in Pasabahce.Yenikoy always struck me as one of the noblest suburbs of Istanbul

[Stavros]

Mano,

My grandfather, Panagioti Gellati, owned a grocery store on the corner down the street from the landing. He later owned the Alaska Restaurant. He passed away in 1953. I have written about my visit to istanbul here:

http://greekodyssey.typepad.com/my_greek_odyssey/2010/08/always-keep-ithaca-in-your-mindto-arrive-there-is-your-ultimate-goalbut-do-not-hurry-the-voyage-at-allit-is-better-to-let.html