Levantine Heritage
The story of a community
Database analysis
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The purpose of this page is to try to layout in tabular form the various social institutions and event timelines to assist would be researchers.

Topics
Social institutions | Travellers descriptions | WWI dead | 1898 Punta listing | Smyrna engravings | Background info | Family names | Old maps
This section would cover the activities of non-Levantines, visitors who would depict in words the then mysterious East, or draw maps which at the time probably also had an intelligence aspect, now relegated to the historians quests. There is a bit of both on-line already such as book listings, and more and the maps of Joseph Roux of 1764. Another map showing the configuration of the bay and town of Smyrna around 1882, is visible here. For Constantinople the history of maps (done by foreigners) goes back to the Byzantine times, such as this one, and online there are many others viewable dating from nearer times.


As for traveller’s descriptions, the principal reference to be used will be indepth analysis done by Ilhan Pinar, book reference a book covering the period between the early 17th to the early 20th century, 7 nationalities (38 German, 13 English, 10 French, 2 Austrians, 2 Dutch, an American and an Indian). The translations to English will be of short sections targetted for good insights to the city of Smyrna or its Levantine community, avoiding as much as possible repetions, and opening up a new avenue of research.

A good account of the history of Istanbul, together with a description of a long line of Western visitors to the city is provided here:

There are also descriptions provided by a few outside this list such as Laurent d’Arvieux (Frenchman, 1653-1658), and links to some visible on the Internet, such as Lord Byron, the Irishman Buck Whaley and an American seaman Loveman Noa.