The Abdullah Frères ( French for "Abdullah Brothers"; tr, Abdullah Biraderler) were a group of three Ottoman brothers of

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...

n descent, Viçen Abdullahyan (1820–1902), Hovsep Abdullahyan (1830–1908), and Kevork Abdullahyan (1839–1918), photographers of international fame during the late Ottoman Empire. They took pictures of scenic views and notable individuals, including sultans. Most of their photography was taken in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. Viçen (later known as ''Abdullah Şükrü'' after converting to Islam) began his photographic career touching up photos for Rabach, who opened his photography studio in 1856 in the Bayezid district of

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

. In 1858, when Viçen's younger brother Kevork returned from his studies at the Murad Raphaelian Armenian Academy in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

, they and another brother, Hovsep, decided to take over Rabach's photography studio and open their own, called the Abdullah Frères. In 1867, they sold their shop in Beyazid and moved to a more favorable location in Pera. The Abdullah Frères subsequently were among the most famous photographers in the

. In 1863, Sultan Abdulaziz declared the Abdullah Frères as the official court photographers and Outstanding Artists of the City, an epithet they used until the closure of the shop in 1899. In 1886, at the request of the Khedive in Egypt, they opened a branch in Cairo, Egypt. Over their lengthy career, the Abdullah Frères photographed numerous

Ottoman sultans The sultans of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı padişahları), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to its dissolution in 1922. At its hei ...

, Ottoman statesmen such as

Ibrahim Edhem Pasha Ibrahim Edhem Pasha (1819–1893) was an Ottoman statesman, who held the office of Grand Vizier in the beginning of Abdul Hamid II's reign between 5 February 1877 and 11 January 1878. He resigned from that post after the Ottoman chances on winn ...

and

Osman Nuri Pasha Osman Nuri Pasha ( ota, عثمان نوری پاشا‎; 1832, Tokat, Ottoman Empire – 4 to 5 April 1900, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire), also known as Ghazi Osman Pasha ( tr, Gazi Osman Paşa), was an Ottoman field marshal. Being one ...

, international figures such as Mark Twain, scenic views, and more.

Gallery

File:Mark Twain by Abdullah Frères, 1867.jpg, Mark Twain. (1867) File:Ibrahim Edhem Pasha.jpg,

. (circa 1877) File:GhaziOsmanPasha.jpg,

. (around 1895) File:Galata Bridge, Istanbul (Constantinople).jpg, View of

Galata Bridge The Galata Bridge ( tr, Galata Köprüsü, ) is a bridge that spans the Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey. From the end of the 19th century in particular, the bridge has featured in Turkish literature, theater, poetry and novels. The current Gala ...

. File:Sultan Abdülaziz.JPG, Sultan Abdulaziz. File:Sultan Abdülmecit.jpg,

Sultan Abdulmecid Abdulmejid I ( ota, عبد المجيد اول, ʿAbdü'l-Mecîd-i evvel, tr, I. Abdülmecid; 25 April 182325 June 1861) was the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and succeeded his father Mahmud II on 2 July 1839. His reign was notable for the r ...

(photo of a painting). File:Group portrait of eight Circassian men in uniform, with another man, possibly an Ottoman official.jpg, Group of Circassian men with Ottoman Official. File:Istanbul - Abdullah brothers - Viçen (1820-1902), Hovsep (1830-1908), Kevork (1839-1918) pre 1895.jpg, A ceremony in

Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque The Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque ( tr, Yıldız Hamidiye Camii), also called the Yıldız Mosque ( tr, Yıldız Camii, links=no), is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in Yıldız neighbourhood of Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey, on the way ...

. File:Abdullah frères - Trandafir G. Djuvara.JPG, Portrait of the Romanian diplomat and memoirist Trandafir G. Djuvara. File:ModernEgypt, Khedive Tawfiq, DHP13401-1-3 01.jpg, Photograph of

Tawfiq Pasha Mohamed Tewfik Pasha ( ar, محمد توفيق باشا ''Muḥammad Tawfīq Bāshā''; April 30 or 15 November 1852 – 7 January 1892), also known as Tawfiq of Egypt, was khedive of Egypt and the Sudan between 1879 and 1892 and the sixth ru ...

. File:Hagia Sophia Bell.jpg, Bell of the

Haghia Sophia Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...

. File:First Mobile Artillery.jpg, The sortie of the First Mobile Artillery Bodyguard Brigade from the barracks File:Street in Galata, Istanbul, Turkey by Abdullah Frères, ca. 1880-1893 (LOC).jpg, Street in Galata. File:Stammesschule-JD.jpg, Mekteb-i Aşiret-i Humayun (Imperial Tribal School) File:Istanbul - Abdullah brothers Quai de Bouyukdéré before 1895.jpg, A dock in Büyükdere, Sarıyer, Istanbul. File:Cuma selamlığı Abdül Hamid II Hamidiye Mosque 4.jpg, The Selamlik (Sultan's procession to the mosque) at the Hamidiye Camii (mosque) on Friday File:Abdullah frères. Constantinople. Georgian. 1870.jpg, Georgian man (1870) File:Turkish woman, full-length portrait, seated, facing front, holding parasol.jpg, Turkish woman, full-length portrait, seated, facing front, holding parasol. File:Stammesschule Schueler.jpg, Students of Mekteb-i Aşiret-i Humayun (Imperial Tribal School) File:Abdullah Brothers - Rumelihisarı İskelesi - Google Art Project.jpg, Rumelihisarı İskelesi File:Abdullah Brothers - The Port from the Galata Tower - Google Art Project.jpg, The Port from the Galata Tower File:Abdullah Brothers - Holiday Workship at the Sinan Pasha Mosque - Google Art Project.jpg, Holiday Workship at the Sinan Pasha Mosque File:Qerandiqo Berzeg2.jpg,

Qerandiqo Berzeg Hajji Qerandiqo Berzeg (; ; ) was a Circassian military commander who served as the 6th leader of the Circassian Confederation from 1860 to 1864. Most of his life, including his late childhood, was spent in the Russo-Circassian War (1763-1864) ...

, last leader of

Circassia Circassia (; also known as Cherkessia in some sources; ady, Адыгэ Хэку, Адыгей, lit=, translit=Adıgə Xəku, Adıgey; ; ota, چرکسستان, Çerkezistan; ) was a country and a historical region in the along the northeast ...

References

External links

Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) Signed Photo by Abdullah Frères, Constantinople 1867
Shapell Manuscript Foundation {{DEFAULTSORT:Abdullah Freres Ethnic Armenian photographers Armenians from the Ottoman Empire Photographers from Istanbul Sibling trios Families from the Ottoman Empire 19th-century photographers 20th-century photographers