This book traces the history of the Greek orthodox community of Pera (in Turkish Beyoğlu), a quarter situated at the heart of Istanbul. It is mostly based on parish archives and covers the period from 1804 to 1923. Demographic aspects, administrative organization, the profile of the elite, philanthropic projects and activities (education, charity) constitute the main axes. Through the case of this Christian population, one of the most prosperous in Eastern Mediterranean, the study highlights the functioning and the aspirations of non Muslim communities of the Ottoman Empire at the age of...