FROM THE KNOSSOS EXCAVATIONS TO THE RAID OF THE SUBLIME PORTE: A PHOTOGRAPHIC NARRATION BY BAHAETTİN RAHMİ BEDİZ

Chania and Halepa, CreteSalt

Foto Behaeddin, Crete

Bahaettin Rahmi Bediz, one of the prominent Muslim photographers of the nineteenth-century Crete, witnessed many political upheavals including the 1896 Cretan uprising, the Balkan and World wars, the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, and the population exchange between Turkey and Greece.

A woman from Messara in local clothing, Heraklion, Crete, From the collection of: Salt
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Marketplace in Mires, Crete, From the collection of: Salt
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Armiro, Heraklion, CreteSalt

Bediz was born in Istanbul in 1875. He attended schools in Istanbul and Crete due to his father İbrahim Rahmi Efendi’s civil service appointments in both towns. Following his father’s death, twenty-year-old Bediz dropped out of Mekteb-i Sultânî (Galatasaray High School) and moved to Crete. His interest in photography is believed to have begun by chance when he was once asked to take a photograph of a group who came to his stationery shop in Heraklion.

Rogdia, Crete, From the collection of: Salt
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Chania Gate, Heraklion, Crete, From the collection of: Salt
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The English Camp in Heraklion, Crete, 1906/07Salt

Bediz’s career is divided into four distinct periods. Between 1896 and 1909, he photographed Crete and published around 200 postcards. Fluent in French, he followed European publications related to his profession, and acquired equipment from Paris, London, and Vienna. Bediz also contributed to the development of photography on the island by organizing contest.

The minaret of Gazi Huseyin Pasha Mosque, Rethymno, Crete, From the collection of: Salt
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Community School in Sitia, Crete, 1906, From the collection of: Salt
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Sublime Porte demonstration of Young Turks who overthrew the government, 1913 (L’Illustration)Salt

Resne Photograph Studio, Istanbul

In 1909, due to ongoing severe conflicts on the island, he moved back to Istanbul, and opened a studio called Resne across the Sublime Porte on the historical peninsula.

Alumni from the Ottoman University’s Department of Literature, Istanbul, 1912 (Şehbal), From the collection of: Salt
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A gathering including Ali Ziya Kocainan, Istanbul, 1922, From the collection of: Salt
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Emin Abide, employee of the Ottoman Bank’s Central Branch, 1922, From the collection of: Salt
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Rıza Halis Bey, employee of the Ottoman Bank’s Central Branch, 1923, From the collection of: Salt
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Izmir Girls’ High SchoolSalt

Resne Photograph Studio, Izmir

In 1927, he moved to Izmir, where he was commissioned by various museums as a private photographer, and participated in a number of archeological excavations during the following nine years. From 1936 to 1948, he continued his career in Ankara, working for various institutions such as the Turkish Historical Society and the Ulus Publishing House.

A Seljuk minaret, Bergama, Izmir, From the collection of: Salt
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Kızılçullu Aqueduct, Izmir, From the collection of: Salt
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Cover ornament of a book in Tire Library, Izmir, From the collection of: Salt
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Aphrodisias Ancient City, Aydın, From the collection of: Salt
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Aphrodisias Ancient City, the Temple of Aphrodite, Aydın, From the collection of: Salt
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Akhisar Misak-ı Milli Elementary School, Manisa, 1928, From the collection of: Salt
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Knossos Ancient City, Heraklion, CreteSalt

Bediz left many historical photographs behind, as well as an unpublished book on the theory and practice of photography, when he died in Istanbul in 1951. These photographs in SALT Research collections not only provide clues on his personal journey, but also constitute significant documents revealing socio-political aspects of the time.

The arrival of the new cabinet at the Sublime Porte, 1913 (L’Illustration), From the collection of: Salt
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Neopoli, Crete, From the collection of: Salt
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The opening ceremony of the Bravery Memorial Cannon, Istanbul, 1916, From the collection of: Salt
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A peasant family in Crete, From the collection of: Salt
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Credits: Story

“From the Knossos Excavations to the Raid of the Sublime Porte: A Photographic Narration by Bahaettin Rahmi Bediz” constitutes part of a larger presentation “Out of the archive,” which took place at SALT Galata in 2017.

The images featured in this presentation are compiled from SALT Research collections.

Researcher: Melis Cankara, SALT Research and Programs

Source: Seyit Ali Ak, Fotoğraf ve Kartpostallarıyla Girit’ten İstanbul’a Bahaettin Rahmi Bediz - Beyaz Atlı Fotoğrafçı, 1875-1951, İstanbul: İletişim Yayınları, 2004.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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