Levantine Heritage
The story of a community
Levantine achievements
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The purpose of this page is to celebrate the successes of the Levantines, whose non-commercial achievements are often overlooked.

The Legacies
Architectural heritage
| Literature | Fine arts | Sports | Intellectual life

The visitor to districts formerly inhabited by Levantines will find few descendants if any living in those streets. However many buildings survive and are more than just a testament that these people once existed. The architectural flamboyance of many attests to the wealth and culture of the former community, and also to the fact that Turkey to them was not a transient home, but a place to invest in their future. The listings are only partial as much contradictory information makes the houses history uncertain, and only when a high degree of reliability is ensured are the details included. The gradual loss through time of properties will mean this list in time will become dated but also a historical source.

To view my notes on this heritage in Izmir in pdf format click here. To obtain for free an acrobat reader if your computer is not already loaded with it, click here. To return to this page, close that window.

The presence of Levantines also assisted in the spreading influence of Art Nouveau in architecture in Istanbul, further explored in this web page: