The Topkapi Armenian Cemetery was owned by the Surp Nigoghayos Armenian church & served the Armenian community from the 17–19th centuries.
The last known burial was 7 April 1896.
It was confiscated & taken over by Midhat Pasha who sold the tombstones.
It was confiscated & taken over by Midhat Pasha who sold the tombstones.
It has been sold to third parties such as Ulker who built a factory there in 1948.
All suits filed for return of the property failed.
All suits filed for return of the property failed.
A property registration receipt of the Topkapı Armenian Cemetery
The Topkapı Armenian Cemetery stands out amongst the seized properties of the Armenian community as an immovable asset for which there is no clear information as to its location, & how it was lost.
In a 1839 title deed, the owner of the property was written as "Atam, son of Kevork" & its address was stated as "outside of Topkapı, Gümüşsuyu district, Merkez Efendi neighbourhood". It should be noted that the name of the owner was in fact 'nam-ı mevhum' [registered in the name of revered religious figures] due to restrictions on property ownership by foundations. The cemetery dated back to the 17th century, & the last known burial took place on April 7, 1896.
Appearing in the 1913 Declaration in the 13th place the cemetery was mentioned as a hayrat [charitable properties such as schools, churches, cemeteries], in the 1936 Declaration.
It was located on Davutpaşa Avenue.
Documents in the foundation's archives show that after the last burial took place, the cemetery was taken over by the owners of a mansion & farm belonging to Mithat Pasha.
Documents in the foundation's archives show that after the last burial took place, the cemetery was taken over by the owners of a mansion & farm belonging to Mithat Pasha.
After that, the tombstones were removed, & the cemetery was turned into a farm.
On September 26, 1908, Servet-i Fünun, a popular newspaper in the day, wrote that an Armenian cemetery near Topkapı was confiscated by a government worker & was sold to third parties, & that a decree was put into effect to return the sold parcels after it was understood that they belonged to a cemetery. In this piece, the name Mithat Pasha was not mentioned.
The cemetery & its vicinities fell outside Istanbul's historic city limits delineated by the ancient city walls. Thus, the site wasn't depicted on maps printed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. According to a chart found in the foundation's archives, the cemetery lay across from the Mithat Paşa farm. Today, the Ülker factory and the Mithat Paşa industrial site are located here.
In 1943, President İsmet İnönü, Prime Minister Şükrü Saraçoğlu, & Interior Minister Hilmi Uran signed a decree to zone the 55 thousand square-meter Mithat Paşa farm for construction. The Ülker factory moved to its first building on Davutpaşa Avenue around this time ( The Official Gazette dated November 20, 1943 numbered 5561).
Even though the Office of the Land Registry archives include a document proving that a parcel on which the factory is located was an Armenian cemetery, it was not possible to receive a copy of it. Foundations frequently encounter this problem while they try to access official records about their properties.
The foundation made attempts within the framework of European Union integration efforts to reclaim the cemetery. Yet, authorities denied requests, saying the cemeteries were controlled by municipalities (Decision of the Directorate of Foundations Council of Foundations numbered B.02.1.VGM.0.05.00.00/823 and decision no: 722 (Archives of the Topkapı Surp Nigoğayos Armenian Church, The Levon Vartuhyan School and Cemetery Foundation).
The foundation has filed a new application after a new decree law was issued on August 27, 2011.
The cemetery & its vicinities fell outside Istanbul's historic city limits delineated by the ancient city walls. Thus, the site wasn't depicted on maps printed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. According to a chart found in the foundation's archives, the cemetery lay across from the Mithat Paşa farm. Today, the Ülker factory and the Mithat Paşa industrial site are located here.
In 1943, President İsmet İnönü, Prime Minister Şükrü Saraçoğlu, & Interior Minister Hilmi Uran signed a decree to zone the 55 thousand square-meter Mithat Paşa farm for construction. The Ülker factory moved to its first building on Davutpaşa Avenue around this time ( The Official Gazette dated November 20, 1943 numbered 5561).
Even though the Office of the Land Registry archives include a document proving that a parcel on which the factory is located was an Armenian cemetery, it was not possible to receive a copy of it. Foundations frequently encounter this problem while they try to access official records about their properties.
The foundation made attempts within the framework of European Union integration efforts to reclaim the cemetery. Yet, authorities denied requests, saying the cemeteries were controlled by municipalities (Decision of the Directorate of Foundations Council of Foundations numbered B.02.1.VGM.0.05.00.00/823 and decision no: 722 (Archives of the Topkapı Surp Nigoğayos Armenian Church, The Levon Vartuhyan School and Cemetery Foundation).
The foundation has filed a new application after a new decree law was issued on August 27, 2011.
As of September, the foundation still awaited a decision
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