Andreas Syngros was a Greek

Greeks

The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....

 banker from Istanbul

Istanbul

Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...

, at the time known internationally as Constantinople, and a philanthropist.

Born in Istanbul to Chiot

Chios

Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...

 parents, Syngros was one of the founders of the Bank of Constantinople along with Stephanos Skouloudis

Stephanos Skouloudis

Stephanos Skouloudis was a Greek banker, diplomat and prime minister.- Early life :He was born in Istanbul on November 23, 1838. His parents, John and Zena Skouloudis, were originally from Crete and his father was a businessman in Constantinople, where Skouloudis completed grade school...

. Syngros married Iphigenia Mavrokordatou of the wealthy merchant Mavrocordatos family; they never had any children. They moved to Athens

Athens

Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

 in 1871 where Syngros planned to found a new bank. Buying land from the widow of Dimitrios Rallis

Dimitrios Rallis

Dimitrios Rallis was a Greek politician. Rallis was elected to Parliament in 1872 and always represented the same Athenian constituency. He became Minister in several governments and served as Prime Minister five times...

, Syngros engaged the well-known Athenian architect Nikolaos Soutsos who built his home based on plans by the German Ernst Ziller

Ernst Ziller

Ernst Moritz Theodor Ziller was a Saxon architect who later became a Greek national, and in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was a major designer of royal and municipal buildings in Athens, Patras and other Greek cities.- Buildings :* Presidential Mansion, Athens* National Theatre of...

, across from the Royal Palace. Today the mansion is the headquarters of the Greek Foreign Ministry

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Greece)

The Minister for Foreign Affairs is the senior minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece, established on 3 April 1833. The current Minister for Foreign Affairs, since 11 November 2011 is the former European Commissioner Stavros Dimas...

, having been left to the state by his widow.

He, together with other members of the Constantinople Greek diaspora

Greek diaspora

The Greek diaspora, also known as Hellenic Diaspora or Diaspora of Hellenism, is a term used to refer to the communities of Greek people living outside the traditional Greek homelands, but more commonly in southeast Europe and Asia Minor...

 and the Odessa Greek diaspora, led by Evangelis Valtatzis, founded the General Credit Bank (Ethniki Pistotiki Trapeza).

In 1882, he founded the Privileged Bank of Epirus and Thessaly (alternatively Epyrothessaly) in Volos

Volos

Volos is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about 326 km north of Athens and 215 km south of Thessaloniki...

 to help the economy of the newly annexed Greek territories of Epiros and Thessaly. The annexation led to an influx of investment from expatriates who bought large estates previously belonging to Muslims who had made investments in the area. The "Privileged" in the bank's name refers to the bank receiving the right to issue banknotes in these territories. The National Bank of Greece

National Bank of Greece

The National Bank of Greece is the oldest and largest commercial banking group in Greece. The group has a particularly strong presence in Southeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean...

 acquired the bank after Syngros's death.

Syngros also became involved in numerous works of public philanthropy, including building an avenue from the Royal Palace to the bay at Faliro

Faliro

Faliro is a seaside suburb 8 km southwest of downtown Athens. There are two communities sharing the name: Palaio and Neo Faliro. Palaio Faliro is a municipality, whereas Neo Faliro is part of the town of Piraeus...

 (named after him today, Syngrou Avenue

Andrea Syngrou Avenue

Andrea Syngrou Avenue is a major road in Athens, linking Poseidonos Avenue with the centre and other avenues. It is planned, built and later named for Andreas Syngros. It runs southwest to northeast. The Syngrou-Fix station of the Attiko Metro's Red Line is situated at the northeastern end of the...

) and he was responsible for completing the Corinth Canal

Corinth Canal

The Corinth Canal is a canal that connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnesian peninsula from the Greek mainland, thus effectively making the former an island. The builders dug the canal through...

, one of the great feats of engineering in Greece, in 1893. Syngros died in Athens in 1899.