Rahmizâde Bahaeddin Bey (1875–1951), also known as Bahaettin Rahmi Bediz and Bahattin Bediz, is credited to be the first Turkish photographer by profession. He started his career in Kandiye, Crete, in 1895, where he acquired his original fame, went on to open photography studios in Istanbul in 1909 ("Photo Resne") and later in izmir. After 1935, in Ankara, he worked as the Chief of Photography Department in

Turkish Historical Society The Turkish Historical Society (; TTK) is a research society studying the history of Turkey and the Turkish people, founded in 1931 by the initiative of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with headquarters in Ankara, Turkey. It has been described as "the Ke ...

, engaged in archeological photographic documentation. The thousands of photographs (especially Cretan life, portraits and municipal and archaeological documentation) he took during his career (Crete, Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara) have immense historical value. In 1927/1928, he prepared for the Municipality of İzmir the booklet "Album de Smyrne", in French and in Turkish, a collection of İzmir photographs taken by him supplemented with explanatory texts. The album, distributed abroad through Turkey's embassies and consular offices, is notable both by being one of the first information and promotion packages prepared by the young

Republic of Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

for international readership, and also for having been one of the last books printed in Turkey in

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, coming shortly before the transition to

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. He is still revered also in Crete for having been the first to capture the people and the landscapes of the island. His four sons, attained prominence on their own. Danyal Bediz was a professor of history at the University of Ankara (Dil, Tarih Fakultesi). Riza Bediz, who teamed up with his father at the end of Bahaettin's photographic business career, had studied art and architecture, became a respected educator in Istanbul. Rahmi Bediz, became a noted architect of 1940-1950s Turkey, was one of the architects of Anit Kabir, the Mauseleum of Atatürk in Ankara, which is recognized as one of 20th Century's significant architectural works. Pertev Bediz (Peter Bediz) also attained prominence by becoming one of the pioneers of geophysical exploration in the US and Canada. geophysical industry in

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. (including photographs by Bahaeddin Rahmi Bediz)

Footnotes

Sources

* Girit'ten İstanbul'a Bahaettin Rahmi Bediz (''Bahaettin Rahmi Bediz from Crete to Istanbul'') by Seyit Ali Ak,
İletişim Yayınları
2004, Istanbul

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bediz, Rahmizade Bahaeddin 1875 births 1951 deaths Photographers from Istanbul Cretan Turks People from Crete 19th-century photographers from the Ottoman Empire 20th-century photographers from the Ottoman Empire