Chris Gratien, Georgetown University
In the French Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at La Courneuve in the Paris suburbs, there are thousands of letters in Ottoman Turkish that appear to have never been sent.
They were written by prisoners and detainees from World War I, mainly residents of regions occupied by the Allies such as Salonika and Antalya. This is the first of a series of posts about those letters. It features a photographic postcard sent by Mehmed Tahır, the mufti of the Kaza of Kayalar in Greek Macedonia, which was under a British-French occupation during the war. He wrote from his place of internment at La Chartreuse in the Haute-Loire region of France to the Head Secretary (başkâtip) of the Nizamiye court in Vezirköprü near Samsun. The contents of the letter seem to suggest the man is his father or another member of his family, though there is no such indication. He sent the photograph to show that he was in good health and as a memento of his imprisonment. He is pictured seated at a desk, surrounded by his numerous books. His clothing is what we would expect from a man of Islamic learning but his apparent request for a fez or two suggests that perhaps this was not his daily attire in France.
They were written by prisoners and detainees from World War I, mainly residents of regions occupied by the Allies such as Salonika and Antalya. This is the first of a series of posts about those letters. It features a photographic postcard sent by Mehmed Tahır, the mufti of the Kaza of Kayalar in Greek Macedonia, which was under a British-French occupation during the war. He wrote from his place of internment at La Chartreuse in the Haute-Loire region of France to the Head Secretary (başkâtip) of the Nizamiye court in Vezirköprü near Samsun. The contents of the letter seem to suggest the man is his father or another member of his family, though there is no such indication. He sent the photograph to show that he was in good health and as a memento of his imprisonment. He is pictured seated at a desk, surrounded by his numerous books. His clothing is what we would expect from a man of Islamic learning but his apparent request for a fez or two suggests that perhaps this was not his daily attire in France.
Efendim,
Geçen Perşembe müşterik mektubunuzu aldım. Posta kötü olduğundan cevaben bir kartta gönderirim. Ahval-ı sihhiyem anlamak ve bir hatıra-yi esaret olmak üzere burada aldırılan fotoğraflardan bir tanesini takdim ediyorum. İnşallah mektuplarınızın arası kesilmez. Mustafa efendilerden hiç bir mektup alamıyorum. Biraderin mektubunda tahmin olunan para müzayekem şimdilik yoktur teşekkür ederim. Mümkünse sivil yani küçük kıtada bir veya iki fes bir kelam-ı kadim bir takvim gönderilirse makbule geçer. Birader ve hemşireye selam küçüklerin gözlerinden öperim efendim
fi 9 Ağustos 1918
Kayalar kazası müftüsü
Mehmed Tahır |
Sir,
I received your combined letters last Thursday. Since the post is bad, I'll send my response on a postcard. To understand my health condition and as a memento of captivity, here is one of the photographs that was taken here. I hope your letters will keep coming, god-willing. I cannot get any letters from Mustafa Efendi. I do not currently have any money difficulties as brother guesses in his letter, thanks. If possible, it would be greatly appreciated if one or two fezzes, a Qur'an, and a calendar could be sent in a civilian i.e. small size (package?). Hello to brother and sister. I kiss the little ones on their eyes.
August 9, 1918
Mehmed Tahır
Mufti of the Kaza of Kayalar |
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