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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

The Allied occupation of Istanbul, 1918-23


sykikcabbage

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If somebody can identify the bas relief in #71 bottom right, I will book my air fare straight away. Gorgeous.

Better give your travel agent a call, John!

According to THIS, it's the base of the Egyptian obelisk at the Hippodrome in Istanbul.

Adrian

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Better give your travel agent a call, John!

According to THIS, it's the base of the Egyptian obelisk at the Hippodrome in Istanbul.

Adrian

Well done Adrian - the scene on the north-west face of the base depicting Theodosius accepting the submission of defeated enemies I think? Now you have located it for us I'm sure I have some undigitised snap shots of it in the attic.

We can get a clever link back to the forum here. The Hippodrome was the scene of Justinian's suppression of the Nika revolt in 532AD when he butchered 30,000 rioters. This little aside therefore rightly belongs in the 'Other Theatres' area (sorry, couldn't resist the awful pun).

John

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Does anyone want to try and identify the original owner of the photograph album? We can assume that he served in the RAF with 207 Squadron in 1923. I am not sure if he was an officer or an O.R. There are some family photographs in the album taken in England. In addition, there is a photograph of what may be the Lightwater war memorial and a name and address: G Joel. Grainger's Farm, West End, Woking, Surrey.

post-6480-1226138086.jpg

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RAF officers on board ship. The Squadron Operations Record Book: AIR 27/1233 records that on 28th September 1922, "The squadron left for Liverpool via London where thet were seen off by Air Vice Marshall Higgins. The commanding officer S/L Tedder left with eight officers on the S.S. Eboe. The following day twelve officers left on the S.S. Khartoum".

post-6480-1226253034.jpg

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Other Ranks on board. Constantinople October 10th 1922: S.S. Eboe arrived at Contantinople after having unloaded transport for No 4 Squadron at Maidos. October 11th. S.S. Khartoum arrived Constantinople.

post-6480-1226253183.jpg

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The mosque is the Ortakoy Mosque to the north of the city on the Bosphorous.

I'd guess the villas are somewhere between there and the Golden Horn. Is there any detail visible in the figures on the first photo?

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The mosque is the Ortakoy Mosque to the north of the city on the Bosphorous.

I'd guess the villas are somewhere between there and the Golden Horn. Is there any detail visible in the figures on the first photo?

There is a similar photograph taken in the same area.

post-6480-1226992366.jpg

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This looks like a ferry landing stage in one of the towns on the Bosphorus. I can't make sense of the writing on the building as a place name, it could say something like "ticket office" for all I know.

Great photo, as always.

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Thanks again for sharing these High Wood.

David

This looks like a ferry landing stage in one of the towns on the Bosphorus. I can't make sense of the writing on the building as a place name, it could say something like "ticket office" for all I know.

Great photo, as always.

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Those are of the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Mosque) in central Constantinople.

Correct, of course. (I am sure that 'Heid the Ba' knows Istanbul better than I do.) One interesting note. When the Blue Mosque was built, there was only one other mosque in the world with six minarets, and that was at Mecca. So, as the Sultan went forward with the construction of the Blue Mosque, he first sent a large donation to the mosque in Mecca so that they could build a seventh minaret on the mosque there, so it would not appear that he was trying to rival Mecca with his new mosque.

Last time I was in Istanbul, traveling with my best friend, we took a modern 2 BR apartment near to the Blue Mosque from some Persian friends of mine for 30 euros a night, and as I was getting up very early in the morning, say 4 AM, I would open the windows in the living room (although it was chilly) and be washed with the sound of the magnificent muzzien (sp?) of the Blue Mosque calling out the early morning first call to prayer, and to those of other great mosques in the area who were seeming to have a singing contest with him every morning. A wonderful memory, three years ago.

The minute the first call to prayer was concluded, the city commuter rail lines began running; one ran very close to our apartment, along the Sea of Mamara shoreline. I do not know it that was simply a coincident.

Bob

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