Istanbul

İstanbul Istanbul
City in Turkey
From top, left to right: A study circle in Istanbul; a view of the Bosporus with Sultan Ahmed Mosque in the foreground; the Fatih Mosque, where Bahá’u’lláh attended noonday prayers; and the 2009 regional conference in Istanbul.
Location of Istanbul
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Istanbul (Turkish: İstanbul; /ˌɪstænˈbʊl/), formerly Byzantium and Constantinople, is the largest city in Turkey and the country's economic, cultural and historic center; it is an important historical site for the Bahá'í Faith owing to the visit of Bahá’u’lláh in 1863. Bahá’u’lláh addressed the city as the "Spot that art situate on the shores of the two seas", reflecting the city's location on the Bosporus Strait, with its commercial and historical centre and two-thirds of the population in Europe, and the rest in Asia. Owing to this fact, Bahá'u'lláh's arrival in the city marked the first time that a Manifestation of God had set foot in the European continent. Istanbul is the world's fifteenth-largest city, with a population of over 15 million residents.

After many years of residence in Baghdad, Bahá’u’lláh was summoned to Istanbul (then Constantinople) by Sultán ‘Abdu'l-‘Azíz after pressure from Persian authorities. He stayed in the city for less than four months before being further exiled to Adrianople (Edirne). At the time of Bahá’u’lláh's stay, Istanbul was in significant decline; though still the chief city of the Islamic world, it was affected by corruption, tyranny and decay. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh prophesied that the city's "outward splendor" would "soon perish", a prophecy which was soon fulfilled by the fall of the Caliphate, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the transfer of the Turkish capital to Ankara, and the secularization of the city.

History

Founded as Byzantion in 660 BCE and renamed as Constantinople in 330 CE, the city grew in size and influence, becoming a beacon of the Silk Road and one of the most important cities in history. It served as an imperial capital for almost sixteen centuries, during the Roman/Byzantine (330–1204), Latin (1204–1261), Byzantine (1261–1453), and Ottoman (1453–1922) empires. It was instrumental in the advancement of Christianity during Roman and Byzantine times, before its transformation to an Islamic stronghold following the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 CE. In 1923, after the Turkish War of Independence and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Ankara replaced Constantinople as the capital of the newly formed Republic of Turkey; finally, in 1930, the city's name was officially changed to Istanbul.

Visit of Bahá'u'lláh

Map of Bahá’u’lláh's exiles.

Bahá'u'lláh visited Constantinople in 1863 when it was the seat of the Ottoman Empire, after He was summoned there by Sultán ‘Abdu'l-‘Azíz at the urging of Persian authorities. His arrival marked the first time in recorded history that a Manifestation of God had set foot in the European continent.

A view of the residence of Bahá’u’lláh in Istanbul.

The Fatih Mosque, where Bahá’u’lláh attended noonday prayers.

Arriving by steamship from Samsun on August 16, 1863, he was received by an Ottoman official, Shamsi Big, who accommodated them in a guest house near the Khirqiy-i Sharif Mosque. His residence was soon afterwards transferred to the home of Visi Pasha, situated near the Fatih Mosque. Many officials called upon Bahá’u’lláh during His stay, including a representative of the Persian ambassador and the former Ottoman prime minister Yusuf Kamal Pasha. Bahá’u’lláh did not return these visits or call on any officials himself, stating "I have no wish to ask favors from them. I have come here at the Sultan's command. Whatsoever additional commands he may issue, I am ready to obey." Instead, Mirza Musa paid customary visits as Bahá’u’lláh's representative, accompanied by a believer who was fluent in Turkish. Meanwhile, Bahá’u’lláh continued to receive visitors, including His companions and a growing number of Bábís who began to arrive in the city. He attended public noonday prayers at the nearby Khirqiy-i Sharif and Fatih Mosques, and composed some major works during this period, including the Mathnaviyí-i Mubárak and the Lawḥ-i-Náqús.

The Persian ambassador, now realizing his mistake in summoning Bahá’u’lláh out of the relative isolation of Baghdad into one of the major centres of Islam, pressed the Sultán to exile Him further. The Sultán and his ministers were swayed by the possibility that the teachings of the Báb could undermine the basis of their government and negatively affect relations with Persia, and they acquiesced, ordering the exile of Bahá’u’lláh and His companions to Adrianople (Edirne). Bahá’u’lláh responded to this order with a lengthy written tablet, the Lawḥ-i-‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz-Va-Vukalá, strongly rebuking the Sultán and his ministers; upon reading it, the Grand Vizir is said to have remarked, "It is as if the King of Kings were issuing his behest to his humblest vassal king and regulating his conduct." Despite this, Bahá’u’lláh complied with the order, departing the city with His companions on December 1, less than four months after arriving.

Modern community

Bahá'ís of Istanbul in 1928.

Despite repeated crises that have faced the Bahá'í community in Turkey since its early days, it has continued to grow and develop, especially in Istanbul, whose cosmopolitan nature has allowed relative freedom for Bahá'ís. Marked developments during the Ten Year Crusade included the formation of a National Spiritual Assembly and the purchase of a National Haziratu'l-Quds. In February 2009, Istanbul was the site of one of the 41 regional conferences of the Five Year Plan. Later, in August 2013, the city hosted one of the 114 youth conferences held during the following Five Year Plan.

References

This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Unported License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Istanbul.