Macar, Elçin. İstanbul'un Yok Olmuş İki Cemaati: Doğu Ritli Katolik Rumlar ve Bulgarlar. İstanbul: İletişim, 2002, 176pp.
ABSTRACT
Two Extinct Communities of Istanbul: Eastern Rite Catholic Greeks and Bulgarians
İstanbul'un Yok Olmuş İki Cemaati: Doğu Ritli Katolik Rumlar ve Bulgarlar
This is a historical study on the Catholic Greeks and Bulgarians of Istanbul. This abstract is based on the first edition of the book made by İletişim Press in 2002.
Catholic Greek and Bulgarian communities became more noticeable in the first half of the twentieth century, during the turmoil in the Balkans. Although their beliefs, liturgy and observances are similar to Greek and Bulgarian Orthodox communities, as Catholics they regard the Pope as the head of their Church. Macar’s book is a historical account of these religious communities and describes their conflicting sense of belonging to two different worlds.
The author recounts the origins and historical development of Eastern Catholic Churches in general, before focusing on Catholic Greeks and Catholic Bulgarians. Although both communities have had their respective churches, schools, and newspapers in Istanbul, their number has dramatically declined due to the political decisions and events which took place in Turkey in the 1940s and 1955. In the 1940s a Capital Tax was levied on religious minorities which impoverished both the Greeks and the Bulgarians of Istanbul, while the attacks against Greek and Armenian properties on 6-7 September 1955 led to a new exodus of non-Muslims from Turkey. In the conclusion the author observes the links between the Balkan nationalist movements and the Orthodox Church, and investigates the historical perception of Eastern Catholics as 'collaborators' and 'traitors', due to their allegiance to the Pope.
This historical research is based on primary sources. The author used correspondences, texts of agreements, foundation documents of schools and churches as well as photographs (some of which have been annexed at the end of the book). This study tackles a unique subject and is a good source of historical reference.
Helin Burkay
Burkay, Helin. '"English abstract of 'Two Extinct Communities of Istanbul: Eastern Rite Catholic Greeks and Bulgarians'". Translated by Aysu Dinçer. In Cities as Built and Lived Environments: Scholarship from Muslim Contexts, 1875 to 2011, by Aptin Khanbaghi, 65. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2014.
Muslim Civilisations Abstracts - The Aga Khan University
