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Christakis Zografos (, , ; 1820 – 19 August 1898) was an
Ottoman Greek Ottoman Greeks (; ) were ethnic Greeks who lived in the Ottoman Empire (1299–1922), much of which is in modern Turkey. Ottoman Greeks were Greek Orthodox Christians who belonged to the Rum Millet (''Millet-i Rum''). They were concentrated in ...
banker, benefactor and one of the distinguished personalities of the Greek community of
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
(modern
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
).


Early life and career

Zografos was born in the village of Qestorat in southern
Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
, when the region was under Ottoman rule. He was of
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
descent. He attended the
Zosimaia School The Zosimaia School () is a Greek middle-level educational institution of Ioannina (in Epirus). It was significant during the last period of Ottoman rule in the region (1828–1913). The ''Zosimaia'' was founded at 1828 through the personal expen ...
in
Ioannina Ioannina ( ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus (region), Epirus, an Modern regions of Greece, administrative region in northwester ...
and then went to
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
to join his father's business there. He was initially a co-partner in a small money changing stand at
Galata Galata is the former name of the Karaköy neighbourhood in Istanbul, which is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn. The district is connected to the historic Fatih district by several bridges that cross the Golden Horn, most nota ...
. During 1854–1881, Zografos became one of the major creditors of the Ottoman state. He also became one of its leading bankers and financiers and president of the Ottoman capital's trolley company. He was awarded by three sultans, sat on the Imperial Board of Estimate and served as president of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Clerico-Lay Advisory Board. Because of his high social status he was widely known as Christakis
Efendi Effendi or effendy ( ; ; originally from ) is a title of nobility meaning ''sir'', ''lord'' or ''master'', especially in the Ottoman Empire and the Caucasus''.'' The title itself and its other forms are originally derived from Medieval Greek ...
(Lord Christakis). In the 1860s, Zografos was part of a committee of Albanian intellectuals and other personalities approved by Grand Vizier Ali Pasha to choose an alphabet for the Albanian language. After elaborations, they chose a mostly Latin alphabet with some Greek letters, though the authorities did not accept it. Following the Fire of
Pera Pera may refer to: Places * Pera (Beyoğlu), a district in Istanbul formerly called Pera, now called Beyoğlu ** Galata, a neighbourhood of Beyoğlu, often referred to as Pera in the past * Pêra (Caparica), a Portuguese locality in the district o ...
in 1870, ZoÄŸrafos bought the damaged Naum Theatre and had it rebuilt as what is now the
Çiçek Pasajı Çiçek Pasajı ( Turkish: ''Flower Passage''), originally called the Cité de Péra, is a famous historic passage ( galleria or arcade) on İstiklal Avenue in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey. A covered arcade with rows of historic c ...
. Zografos was known as Sultan Murad V's personal jeweller. After the successful coup against Sultan Abdülaziz, he was entrusted with the sultan's jewellery collection, as it was assumed it would not fetch its true value in Constantinople. Zografos was sent to France to try and sell it and never returned to the city.


Philanthropy

Zografos lavishly endowed educational and other facilities for the Greek communities living in regions that belonged, at that time, to the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
. He offered large sums of money for the establishment of two middle schools in Constantinople: one in
BeyoÄŸlu BeyoÄŸlu (; ) is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 9 km2, and its population is 225,920 (2022). It is on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey, separated from the o ...
(Pera), the other a school for girls in Yeniköy on the
Bosphorus The Bosporus or Bosphorus Strait ( ; , colloquially ) is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul, Turkey. The Bosporus connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and forms one of the continental bo ...
. Both were called Zographeion Lyceum in his memory. He also sponsored the rebuilding of a Greek library in the city and gave 1,000-franc endowments to the universities of Munich and Paris for awards in the fields of Greek literature and history. In his birthplace he founded another Zographeion College where the male and female graduates became Greek language teachers. Zografos also offered annual scholarships to 60 students (30 females and 30 males) from poor families to cover their living costs while they studied. Other grants went to the Patriarchate's
Halki seminary The Halki seminary, formally the Theological School of Halki ( and ), was founded on 1 October 1844 on the island of Halki ( Turkish: Heybeliada), the second-largest of the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara. It was the main school of theo ...
on
Heybeliada Heybeliada, or Heybeli Ada, () is the second largest of the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara, near Istanbul, Turkey. It is officially a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Adalar, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its populatio ...
(Halki). In recognition he was awarded the Gold Cross of the Ecumenical Patriarch Joachim II. Zografos supported Hellenism by funding Greek schools, and at the same time he promoted the use of the Albanian language in the elementary schools that he financed. His daughter married
Koto Hoxhi Konstandin Hoxhi, known as Koto Hoxhi (1824–1895) was an advocate of the Albanian language. He taught the language secretly to his students in Qestorat in Southern Albania. He was imprisoned and died in prison for his beliefs. Biography Koto H ...
, who taught Albanian at the school of Qestorat. His son
Georgios Christakis-Zografos Georgios Christakis-Zografos (; 1863–1920) was a Greek politician, minister of foreign affairs and president of the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus (1914). Life Studies and early career He was the son of the entrepreneur and benefacto ...
became a notable diplomat, politician and head of the
Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus The Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus () was a short-lived, self-governing entity founded in the aftermath of the Balkan Wars on 28 February 1914, by the local Greek population in southern Albania ( Northern Epirotes). The area, known as ...
(1914).


Legacy

Under the
Communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...
in Albania (1945–1992), Zografos and his son were labelled 'enemies of the state'. Anyone from his home town who held the name Zografos, whether they were related or not, was also persecuted. After 1992, however, the situation changed and today the Zographeion school in Qestorati has been renovated and reopened as a museum.http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/16/57/25/PDF/de_Rapper_2005a.pdf ...were stigmatised in Albanian historiography as shovinistë and borgjezë (chauvinist, bourgeois) who had worked to destroy the Albanian nation by pretending that all Orthodox Christians were Greek or should be Greek, and by supporting the opening of Greek schools in Lunxhëri and elsewhere. In consequence of this negative propaganda, the last people who still hold the family name Zografi in their village of origin, Qestorat, were persecuted during communism....its re-opening as a museum of Lunxhëri...


See also

* Zographeion Lyceum * Zographeion College *
Çiçek Pasajı Çiçek Pasajı ( Turkish: ''Flower Passage''), originally called the Cité de Péra, is a famous historic passage ( galleria or arcade) on İstiklal Avenue in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey. A covered arcade with rows of historic c ...
*
Ottoman Greeks Ottoman Greeks (; ) were ethnic Greeks who lived in the Ottoman Empire (1299–1922), much of which is in modern Turkey. Ottoman Greeks were Greek Orthodox Christians who belonged to the Rum Millet (''Millet-i Rum''). They were concentrated in ...


References

10. Yilmaz Öztuna. ''Bir darbenin anatomisi.'' 1982, p111


Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zografos, Christakis 1820 births 1896 deaths People from Gjirokastër Bankers from the Ottoman Empire Greek philanthropists Greeks from the Ottoman Empire Zosimaia School alumni 19th-century Greek philanthropists Greek people of Albanian descent Albanian people from the Ottoman Empire