The Seasons of Constantinople and Fethiye Hakkı's Autobiography

Chris Gratien, Georgetown University

One of the themes in our blog has been the study of education to explore other aspects of social life during the late Ottoman era. The records of the education ministry (Maarif Nezareti) often contain information that is much more precious and interesting than the purpose and goals of the ministry itself. This document, which turns up without additional documentation in miscellaneous papers of the ministry in the earliest stages of transfer over to TBMM administration in Turkey, is one such example. It is the composition of a young woman named Fethiye Hakkı in English that is apparently some sort of examination, possibly to begin training or employment as a teacher. She gives her birthdate as 1314 but there is no indication if it is Rumi of Hicri. Rumi would be 1898/1899 and Hicri would be 1896/1897. Based on the imprecise outline of her education below, either is possible but the Rumi date of 1898/1899 seems more likely, making her roughly twenty years old at the date of this writing.

Fethiye Hakkı was educated in the American system partially at home and partially at American schools. At the time of her writing she was a member of the YWCA in Istanbul. The composition contains some errors and I have tried to transcribe it in its original form. The original photographs are found below. They also include Fethiye Hakkı's parsing of a sentence about the seasons of Istanbul in addition to a composition of her own about the topic.

[Fethiye Hakkı's Autobiography]

I was born at Constantinople in 1314. When I became seven years old I went a Turkish School and there I studied five years and I got my diploma in my twelve age. Then I studied my Turkish at home for four years. After that one year I took special English lesson form an American Lady, while I began to learn my parents has sent me to American School Gadik (Gedik) Pasha. In that school I studied there three and half years and in 1919 I got my diploma. In that school had eight classes, but as I wrote you I have finished in three and half years. It is about one and half year that I am studing my English at home and going to an American sociaty. The name of that sociaty is Young Woman Christian Assasation or Service Center. Now I am the member of that sociaty.

Fethié Hakki

فتحيه حقى

1920/10/27

- The Seasons of Constantinople -

As you know, the seasons are four kinds. Let us begin from winter. The winter of Constantinople is not so cold as the others country, but in winter time it is a little rainy and we sometimes it was snowing too. Here in Constantinople we can walk but in a good day. In spring time the Constantinople is very wonderful. All the flowers are opened, and every places are green and bright. Everyone can go to picnics to see the veiw and to take good air. In spring time everything is different, because no one can think that we shall take cold if we go to a picnic. So we are more free for study, for walk, for [sowing?] for everything than the winter time. The sickness also are less than winter in summer. For myself I like best the summer, and the spring.

In summer time the leaves and the flowers and trees are began to dry, that time also the Constantinople views are different. If a stranger comes from far country, likes the view of Constantinople because it is good and wonderful. In summer we can not walk and study as we want because in the morning it makes too hot, but afternoons at five four or five o’clock everyone can go out and can walk, because the evenings always cooler than noon time. In otumne every green things flowers and trees are began to dry and the leaves begin to fall. So the views of Constantinople has become a little bad.

Source: BOA, MF-VRK 49/41

summer

Constantinople