Yorgo Zarifi
Encyclopedia
Georgios Y. Zariphis also known as Yorgo Zarifi, was a prominent Greek
Ottoman banker and financier. He was also very well known as a prominent benefactor of his time. Zariphis met Sultan Abdulhamid II when the latter was a shahzade
with a low expectation of ascending to the throne. The Prince, having financial troubles, called on the expertise of Zariphis to manage his personal wealth. After Abdulhamid became sultan
, he continued to utilize Zarifi's advisory services.
Living at the time when the Ottoman Empire
was in great financial distress and had declared bankruptcy, Zariphis was one of the Galata bankers that was involved in the Empire's debt raising. He was also involved in setting up Düyun-u Umumiye (Office of Public Debt) in 1881 that oversaw tax collection and debt payments of the Ottoman Empire.
Zariphis also sponsored the foundation of Greek language schools, which were named Zariphia after schools: like the Zariphios
School in Plovdiv
, Bulgaria
and Alexandroupolis, Greece
.
Rum Hastanesi is named Zariphion in his honor, not because of a specific bequest but in remembrance of the many at-large donations he gave during his lifetime. Georgios Zariphis's summer time mansion, Zarifi Köşkü, in the Yeniköy
district is a listed and protected historical building, which in 2005 started undergoing renovation as the headquarters of the Turkish Football Federation
.
A restaurant in the Beyoğlu
district is named Zariphis, both as a play on the word zarif ("genteel") and with reference to Yorgo Zarifi.
In September 1955, during the anti-Greek Istanbul Pogrom
his grave was vandalized by vanatical mob.
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....
Ottoman banker and financier. He was also very well known as a prominent benefactor of his time. Zariphis met Sultan Abdulhamid II when the latter was a shahzade
Shahzade
Shahzade may refer to:*Shahzade, a prince of the Iran royal house*The son or male line descendant of an Ottoman Sultan...
with a low expectation of ascending to the throne. The Prince, having financial troubles, called on the expertise of Zariphis to manage his personal wealth. After Abdulhamid became sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
, he continued to utilize Zarifi's advisory services.
Living at the time when the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
was in great financial distress and had declared bankruptcy, Zariphis was one of the Galata bankers that was involved in the Empire's debt raising. He was also involved in setting up Düyun-u Umumiye (Office of Public Debt) in 1881 that oversaw tax collection and debt payments of the Ottoman Empire.
Zariphis also sponsored the foundation of Greek language schools, which were named Zariphia after schools: like the Zariphios
Zariphios School
The Zariphios School was a Greek educational institution established in 1875 in Plovdiv , then in the Ottoman Empire and now in Bulgaria. It became one of the most significant Greek educational centres in the region of Thrace, attracting teachers from Greece and Western Europe and existed until 1906...
School in Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and Alexandroupolis, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Traces of Zariphis in Today's Istanbul
One of the buildings of the BalıklıBalıklı, Istanbul
Balıklı is a neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey. It belongs to the Zeytinburnu municipality , and is part of the Kazlıçeşme Mahalle....
Rum Hastanesi is named Zariphion in his honor, not because of a specific bequest but in remembrance of the many at-large donations he gave during his lifetime. Georgios Zariphis's summer time mansion, Zarifi Köşkü, in the Yeniköy
Yeniköy, Istanbul
Yeniköy is a neighbourhood in Sarıyer district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is located on the European shores of the Bosphorus, between the neighbourhoods of İstinye and Tarabya....
district is a listed and protected historical building, which in 2005 started undergoing renovation as the headquarters of the Turkish Football Federation
Turkish Football Federation
The Turkish Football Federation , also called the Turkish Football Association, is the governing body of football in Turkey. It was formed on 23 April 1923. It organizes the Turkish national teams and the Turkish football league. By 2004, there were 4,956 football clubs organized in Turkey, and a...
.
A restaurant in the Beyoğlu
Beyoglu
Beyoğlu is a district located on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city by the Golden Horn...
district is named Zariphis, both as a play on the word zarif ("genteel") and with reference to Yorgo Zarifi.
In September 1955, during the anti-Greek Istanbul Pogrom
Istanbul Pogrom
The Istanbul riots , were mob attacks directed primarily at Istanbul's Greek minority on 6–7 September 1955. The riots were orchestrated by the Turkish government under Adnan Menderes. The events were triggered by the false news that the Turkish consulate in Thessaloniki, north Greece—the...
his grave was vandalized by vanatical mob.