Constantinople vilayet

The Vilayet of Constantinople^[2] or Istanbul (Turkish: Vilâyet-i İstanbul) was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire, encompassing the imperial capital, Constantinople (Istanbul).

İstanbul
Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire
1878–1922
Population
• Muslim, 1914[1]	560,434
• Greek, 1914[1]	205,752
• Armenian, 1914[1]	82,880
• Jewish, 1914[1]	52,126
History
• Established	1878
• Disestablished	1922
Preceded by Succeeded by İstanbul Eyaleti Istanbul Province
Today part of	Turkey

History

It had a special organisation, as it was placed under the immediate authority of the Minister of Police (Zabtiye Naziri), who filled a role equivalent to the governor (wali) in other vilayets.^[3]

It included Stamboul (the inner city, known in Turkish as Istanbul) and the quarters of Eyüp, Kassim Pacha, Pera and Galata, and all the suburbs from Silivri on the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea on the European side, and from Ghili on the Black Sea to the end of the Gulf of İzmit on the Asiatic side.^[3]

In 1878, a provincial structure, with a governor (wāli) and provincial officers, was established to perform the same functions within Constantinople that provincial authorities performed elsewhere in the Empire.^[4]

Administrative divisions

Sanjaks and kazas, circa 1877:^[3]

• Sanjak of Stamboul: kazas of Fatih-Sultan-Mehmet, Eyüp, Kartal, Prince Islands
• Sanjak of Pera: kazas of Galata, Yeniköy.
• Sanjak of Scutari: kaza of Beykoz.
• Sanjak of Büyükçekmece, kaza of Çatalca.

Demography

Ethnic Groups in Constantinople Vilayet

1. Islam (62%)
2. Orthodox (23%)
3. Apostolic (9%)
4. Judaism (6%)

Istanbul vilayet 1914 population [5]
Township	Muslim	%	Greek Orthodox	%	Armenian	%	Jewish	%	Others	%	Total
Fatih (Downtown)	279,056	72.1%	64,287	16.6%	28,095	7.3%	13,441	3.5%	2,013	0.5%	386,892
Bakırköy	28,967	61.8%	11,221	23.9%	5,954	12.7%	364	0.8%	390	0.8%	46,896
Adalar	1,586	14.3%	8,725	78.7%	652	5.9%	79	0.7%	45	0.4%	11,087
Beyoğlu	117,267	44.9%	75,971	29.1%	30,642	11.7%	31,080	11.9%	6,135	2.4%	261,095
Üsküdar	70,447	63.1%	19,832	17.8%	13,949	12.5%	6,836	6.1%	579	0.5%	111,643
Gebze	26,220	81.6%	5,856	18.2%	47	0.2%	0	0.0%	21	0.1%	32,144
Kartal	8,257	45.0%	6,862	37.4%	3,216	17.5%	13	0.1%	0	0.0%	18,348
Beykoz	14,466	77.0%	3,708	19.7%	325	1.7%	292	1.6%	1	0.0%	18,792
Şile	14,168	61.4%	8,913	38.6%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	23,081
Total	560,434	61.6%	205,375	22.6%	82,880	9.1%	52,126	5.7%	9,163	1.0%	909,978
Armenians: 72,962 Gregorian and 9,918 Catholic. The province has a total population of 1,213 Protestants and 387 Greek Catholics.

See also

• History of Istanbul