35th Levantine Heritage Foundation Zoom lecture gathering with guest speakers Efe Erünal & Alexandra Koumpouli, 29 October 2024, 6.00 pm (UK time)
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Abstract
‘Layered Levantine Identities: The Glavany Family’s Networks and Built Legacy in the Ottoman Empire and Beyond’
In the nineteenth-century Ottoman Empire, a new elite class of non-Muslims rose to prominence, distinguished by their wealth, ambition, and substantial influence in sociopolitical and economic spheres—an influence that, while rooted in earlier centuries, reached its zenith during this period. Integral to the Empire’s integration into the global economy and administrative reforms, this elite group also played a crucial role in shaping the urban landscape, particularly in Istanbul, through their active engagement in architectural and artistic patronage. They spearheaded major infrastructural projects that transformed the built environment and signalled a shift in the Empire’s cultural and economic aspirations. Within this influential circle, the Levantines were key actors, and among them, the Glavany family notably distinguished itself. As prominent Levantine merchant-financiers with Chiot origins dating back to the late medieval period, the Glavanys represented a culturally diverse community that adeptly navigated and bridged the Empire’s political and social divides, extending their influence far beyond its borders. Predominantly found in key urban and trade hubs like Istanbul, Salonica, Izmir, Ankara, Alexandria, Sebastopol, Beirut, Brussels, and Paris, they leveraged their deep-rooted connections within European and Mediterranean trade networks. This strategic positioning enabled them to wield significant power as merchants, bankers, diplomats, and patrons, thereby influencing the Ottoman Empire’s economic, political, cultural, and architectural evolution.
This presentation explores the Glavany family’s multifaceted impact on the Empire’s evolving sociopolitical landscape. Their contributions extended far beyond commerce, banking, and diplomacy, leaving a lasting mark on art, culture, and urban development. While existing literature often mentions them sporadically and relies on European-language sources, our research uncovers a wealth of information from Ottoman imperial archives, French archives, and the Ottoman Bank Archives. We have also reconstructed the family’s intra- and inter-family relationships using genealogical records preserved in Catholic church registers and documented their architectural legacy where possible. These sources have been crucial in revealing the Glavanys’ ascent and their enduring economic and political power, which is still felt today.
By drawing on these diverse sources, our research—scheduled for publication as a chapter in the forthcoming book Ottoman Cultural Mobilities: Travel, Imperial Exchange, and Collecting in the Nineteenth Century, edited by Sibel Zandi- Sayek and Belgin Turan Özkaya (under contract with De Gruyter)—aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the Ottoman Empire’s socio-economic, political, and architectural transformation through the lens of the Glavany family. This study not only deepens our comprehension of a significant family but also illuminates the interaction between local dynamics and broader global trends during the early modern period and particularly throughout the long nineteenth century.
Booking essential: https://efe-erunal-alexandra-koumpouli-lecture.eventbrite.co.uk
About the Speakers
Efe Erünal, PhD in History (Koç University, 2023), specializes in the economic, demographic, and social history of the Ottoman Empire and its successor states from the nineteenth century to the present. His interdisciplinary approach, integrating digital tools into historical research, earned him the inaugural Ottoman and Turkish Studies Association (OTSA) Award for Digital Ottoman and Turkish Studies in 2023. He has published in Middle Eastern Studies, The Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, and Nature Scientific Data. He is currently serving as visiting faculty at Kadir Has University in Istanbul.
Alexandra Koumpouli, is a practicing architect (Diploma/ M.Sc. NTU Athens), holding a Ph.D. in Archaeology and Art History (Koç University, 2024). Her research specializes in the influence of late Ottoman urbanism on house architecture and multi-ethnic settlements in Eastern Mediterranean. She is strongly interested in integrating ethnographic methods and community-centered approaches into archaeological research, while her work has been presented in the International Conference “The Ottoman Monuments in Greece Revisited” and the 17 Turkish Art.
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