Famous
Istanbul historian Jak Deleon writes about Kabatas in
his book named 'The Bosphorus: A Historical Guide ' :
''
In antiquity, Kabatas was named Aiantion ( or, according
to some sources, Petra Thermastis ) and in Byzantine times
it was called Butharion. The name Aiantion comes from
a temple dedicated by the people of Megara to Ajax, son
of the King of Salamis and hero of the Trojan War. It
is said that the district's name ( Kabatas, Rough Stone
) comes from the fact that there was once a giant rock
which stood here. According to Evliya Celebi, in the 15th
century gunpowder storehouse blew up and a huge stone
carried by the explosion fell to the ground on this waterfront.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Mustafa Necip
Efendi Mansion was built on the spot where the stone had
apparently descended.
Also
in the 15th century, Cizmecibasi Mahmut Bedrettin Aga
founded the Cizmeciler Tekkesi ( religious lodge ) which
was a charitable organization with the resources to support
almost the entire neighborhood. Once the focal point of
the district, the lodge began to fall into ruin in the
18th century. It was completely demolished during the
19th century.
The
mosque built by Reisulkuttab Omer Avni Bey is a 17th century
building. Omer Avni Bey himself planted the plane tree
beside the landing stage. The fountain of Vizier Hekimoglu
Ali Pasa was moved inland from the shore due to road developments.
But it was returned to its original position in the 1950s.
Now opposite the landing stage, the Grand Vizier Koca
Yusuf Pasa Fountain (18th century ) was formerly next
to the Findikli Mosque. During the widening of the road
between Tophane and Dolmabahce, it was transferred from
Findikli to Kabatas. The Kabatas quay was constructed
in the 19th century. Abdulmecid commemorated the event
by having a column erected at the site.
The
Kazasker Ebusuud Efendi Mansion that graced the slopes
of Kabatas in the 19th century was renowned for its splendid
marble pool, its tulips and its boundless orange groves.
Abdulhamid II converted the wooden waterfront palace below
the mansion into a school. It was later moved to Ortakoy,
thus laying the foundation for the Kabatas Boys' Lycee.
The
first car ferry service of the Sirket-i Hayriye ( the
Boat Company ) sailed from Kabatas, enabling carriages
to cross from one shore of the Bosphorus to the other.
This ferry was the brainchild of one of the directors
of the company, Huseyin Haki Efendi. ''
