The Mysteries of Beyoglu

Written by Epameinondas Kyriakidis (Istanbul 1861 – Athens 1939) and published in Karamanli/Turkish in Istanbul, The Mysteries of Beyoglu was translated into Turkish by the editor of the newspaper “Anatoli,” Evangelinos Misailidis (Κula, Manisa 1820 – Istanbul 1890). It appeared in the same newspaper as a series between 1888-1889. As a part of the “City Mysteries / Mystères urbains” genre, In this novel, as in other “mysterious novels” written about Istanbul, writer E. Kyriakidis, criticizes the pompous life and new attitudes of the Greek “society” which is located in Beyoğlu and has become a center of corruption and immorality due to customs imported from Europe. While the author depicts the hidden aspects of this flamboyant high class as a part of the society in question, he also sheds light on the dark sides of Istanbul. As the city’s lairs of corruption, squalid neighborhoods and prostitution houses are exposed, the reader is confronted with a layer of life fraught with danger and threats.

E. Misailidis, who translated the work into Turkish, ensured that the language he used was authentic to the original text, in order to make the Turkish-speaking Anatolian reader feel that the work was constructed and written in Turkish. With the detailed Preface, Introduction, Dictionary sections, and Notes they have added, Evangelia Balta & Sada Payır, who prepared this old Turkish translation with Greek letters for publication in today’s Turkish with Latin letters, ensured that the modern reader receives the same taste and knowledge of the text.