İngiliz kadın şair, yazar ve gezgin Miss Julia Pardoe (1806-1862) İstanbul'u babası Major Thomas Pardoe ile birlikte ziyaret eder. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu başkentinde 1836-37 yıllarında bulunur. Baştaki planlarında Mısır ve Yunanistan'ı da ziyaret etmek varken Pardoe bundan vazgeçer ve ilk eseri The City of the Sultan' ı yayınlar. Kitap büyük başarı kazanır (30 binden fazla satar) ve 1838, 1845, 1854 yıllarında yeni baskılar yapar.

Julia Pardoe, Lady Montague'dan sonra (1717-18), yaşamın daha iç kesimlerine sızıp Osmanlı İmparatorluğunda gündelik yaşam, özellikle kadınların yaşamı hakkında yazan ilk kadındır. Böylelikle Avrupalılara yeni bir kitap daha sunup, kendi metinleri ve W.H. Bartlett'in desenlerinden oluşan The Beauties of the Bosphorus' u yayınlar. Bu eser de yeni baskılar yapar ve fransızcaya çevrilir. Pardoe ölümüne dek otuza yakın tarihi eser ve roman yazmıştır.

Sözkonusu yayın Pardoe'nun daha önce çıkan kitaplarında yayınlanmış gravürlerden bir derleme olup Tuna nehrinin Kuzey ve Orta Avrupa'da geçtiği yörelerden ve Boğaziçi ile İstanbul'dan tipik manzaralar içermektedir.

Yazan: İoli Vingopoulou

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  Portrait of Julia Pardoe.

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  Scene in the Valley of Sweet Waters.

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  Title page.

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  Dedication of the author to the Ottoman Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mustafa Reşid Paşa.

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  The Çağlayan Palace in the Sweet Waters of Europe (Kağıthane). This palace was constructed on the ruins of Saadabad Palace, which was demolished in 1730, during the Patrona Halil revolt.

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  The Eyüp Sultan Mosque, on the western shores of Golden Horn.

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  Panoramic view of the Golden Horn from Eyüp.

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  Panoramic view of the Golden Horn from the Muslim cemetery of Eyüp.

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  Ottoman men are resting in the cooling room of a hamam, after having enjoyed their bath.

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  Panoramic view of the Bosporus from Beşiktaş. In the background the Anatolian and Rumelian castles.

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  The Anatolian and Rumelian Castles, on the Asiatic and European shores of the Bosporus accordingly.

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  The Küçüksu fountain (or Mihrişah Valide Sultan Fountain) in the Sweet waters of Asia. In the background the Rumelian and Anatolian Castles.

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  View of Kemerburgaz Aqueduct.

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  Interior view of the Mausoleum of Sultan Suleiman I. In the foreground a model of the entire mosque complex.

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  View of New Mosque ( Yeni Camii / Valide Sultan Camii).

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  The central avenue of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

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  The armor bazaar in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

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  A scene in the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, somewhere in Sandal Bedesten.

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  Milk store in the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul.

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  The Bereketzade fountain near the Galata Tower in Istanbul.

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  View of Istanbul from Bulgurlu hill at Üsküdar, on the Asiatic shores of Bosporus. In the background the Seraglio Point and Pera (Beyoğlu).

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  Ottoman villas on the Asiatic shore of Bosporus, near Kandili. In the background the Anatolian Castle.

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  View of the New Mosque from the port of Eminönü. In the background the Mosque of Sultan Suleiman I.

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  The Hippodrome of Constantinople. In the foreground the Obelisk of Theodosius I and the Serpent column. In the background Hagia Sophia and the Mosque of Sultan Ahmet I.

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  The courtyard of the mosque of Sultan Ahmet I.

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  The Column of Marcian in Fatih.

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  The Muslim cemetery at Üsküdar.

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  Musicians at the Asian valley of Sweet Waters.

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  Panoramic view of the Bosporus from Beylerbey. On the shores, Beylerbey Palace in one of its first constructional phases, before its final reconstruction ordered by Sultan Abdülaziz.

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  The courtyard and the fountain of Hagia Sophia.

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  Interior view of Hagia Sophia from women's gallery.

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  View of Istanbul from Okmeydani.

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  The Column of Theodosius at Beyazit square (Forum of Theodosius).

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  The Fountain of Sultan Ahmet III at Hagia Sophia square.

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  The Fourth Courtyard of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. On the left the Kiosk of Baghdad.

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  View of the Tophane square and the Fountain of Sultan Mahmut I. In the background the Nusretiye Mosque.

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  View of the Byzantine walls of Constantinople. The part of the walls depicted is most probably located somewhere in between Ayvansaray and Eyüp.

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  The Topkapi Gate, on the Byzantine walls of Constantinople, in Fatih.

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  View of the Sehzade Mosque and Mausoleum in Fatih.

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  View of the mosque of Sultan Suleiman I from the Beyazıt Tower, also named Serasker Tower, on Beyazit Square. In the background Pera (Beyoğlu) and the eastern shore of the Golden Horn.

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  Interior view of the mosque of Sultan Suleiman I.

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  The mihrab of the mosque of Sultan Suleiman I. In the foreground pious Ottomans are praying.

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  View of the port of Istanbul (Eminönü). In the background the New Mosque, and the Beyazıt Tower, also named Serasker Tower, on Beyazit Square. On the right the Galata Tower.

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  The entrance to the Black Sea from Istanbul. On the right Yoros Castle, close to Anadolu Kavağı.

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  Panoramic view of the Bosporus. On the left Yoros Castle.

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  View of Büyükdere from Joshua's Hill (or Hill of Jesus), on the Asiatic shore of the Bosporus.

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  View of Tekfur Saray at Balat in Istanbul.

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  View of the Seraglio Point from Karaköy. In the background the Prince islands. On the left Kadıköy and the Maiden's tower.

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  View of Yeniköy on the European shores of the Bosporus.

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  View of the area the Dolmabahçe Palace was built at, from the Muslim cemetery of Pera (Beyoğlu). This cemetery started off today's Taxim Square and through the neighborhoods of Gümüşsuyu and Fındıklı it reached the Bosporus.

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  Aqueduct at Belgrad Forest in Istanbul, either Kırkçeşme or Mağlova aqueduct.

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  View of Valens Aqueduct in Fatih, Istanbul.

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  The Cistern of Philoxenos in between the Hippodrome of Constantinople and Çemberlitas (Forum of Constantine I).

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  The Basilica Cistern in Istanbul.

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  The Mosque of Beyazit II on Beyazit Square in Istanbul. On the left, Ağalar Gate, which was renamed to Serasker Gate in the beginning of the 19th century.

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  Panoramic view of the Sea of Marmara from the Beyazit Tower, also named as Serasker Tower, on the Beyazit Square. In the foreground the Mosque of Sulatn Beyazit I. In the background Hagia Sophia, the Mosque of Sultan Ahmet I and the Mosque of Küçük Ayasofya.

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  Part of the Byzantine walls of Constantinople, nearby the Topkapi Gate.

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  View of Istiniye, on the European shores of the Bosporus. On the left the Fountain of Ahmet Şemsettin.

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  View of the Ottoman shipyards of Kasımpaşa from Pera (Beyoğlu). On the left the mosques of Sultan Mehmet II and Yavuz Sultan Selim.

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  The Tower of Galata. In the background the Seraglio Point and Hagia Sophia.

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  The Column of Constantine (Çemberlitaş sütunu). In the background the Köprülü Mehmet Paşa Mosque.

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  View of Istanbul from Üsküdar.

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  View of Istanbul from Üsküdar.

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  The entrance to Yedikule fortress.

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  Interior view of Ottoman house in Balat.

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  View of the Nuruosmaniye Mosque from the slave market of Istanbul.

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  The muslim cemetery of Pera (Beyoğlu). This cemetery started off today's Taxim square and through the neighborhoods of Gümüşsuyu and Fındıklı it reached the Bosporus.

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  Mausoleum in the Muslim cemetery of Üsküdar.

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  Maiden's Tower in Istanbul.

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  View of Bebek, on the European shore of the Bosporus.

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  Interior court in an inn.

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  Fortress at Belgrad Forest in Istanbul. In the background the Anatolian Castle.

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  The aqueduct of Sultan Mahmut I in Bahçeköy.

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  View of Büyükdere through the arches of the aqueduct of Sultan Mahmut I in Bahçeköy.

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  Café at Eminönü. In the background the Tower of Beyazit, also called Serasker Tower, the Mosque of Sultan Suleiman I and the Valens aqueduct.

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  Map of Istanbul and the Bosporus.