Bahai Library Online

Tag "Istanbul, Turkey"

tag name: Istanbul, Turkey type: Geographic locations
web link: Istanbul,_Turkey
variations: Constantinople
references: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople
related tags: Turkey
referring tags: * Bahá'u'lláh, Writings of (5. Istanbul)

"Istanbul, Turkey" appears in:

1.   from the main catalog (16 results; less)

  1. Stanwood Cobb. Ayesha of the Bosphorus: A Romance of Constantinople (1915). A novella combining fiction with scenes from the lives of Abdu'l-Bahá and the Bahá'ís in Haifa in the early 1900s. Includes introduction by Bei Dawud.
  2. Moojan Momen. Babi and Bahá'í Religions 1844-1944: Some Contemporary Western Accounts (1981). A lengthy collection of first-hand reports and mentions of the Bábí and Bahá'í religions in contemporaneous accounts and newspapers.
  3. John Walbridge. Bahá'í Faith in Turkey, The (2002). Includes bios of individuals from Turkey who figure prominently in Bahá'í history.
  4. Nooshfar B. Afnan. Encouragement of the Arts During the Ministry of 'Abdu'l-Bahá: The Services of Master Calligrapher Mishkín-Qalam (2023-10). ‘Abdu’l-Bahá promoted the arts, including through support of Mishkín-Qalam and artistic conceptions for the interment of the remains of the Báb, the construction of the first Bahá’í House of Worship, and transcription of Bahá’í literature.
  5. Lil Osborn. Extraordinary Life and Work of Wellesley Tudor Pole, The: Baha'i Seer (2013-07). On the role of Bahá'í beliefs in the life and spiritual quest of Tudor Pole.
  6. Roshan Danesh. Journey Motif in the Bahá'í Faith, The: From Doubt to Certitude (2012). The process of individual spiritual growth lies at the heart of human purpose. Bahá’u’lláh speaks about the collective spiritualization of humanity — creating new patterns of community and social relations — as the "journey" of the human body politic.
  7. Le Journal de Constantinople (1848-1851). Collection of 818 files, unsorted. They contain an unknown number of references to the Báb and his milieu. Four entries have been found so far, and searching this archive may yield more.
  8. Aqa Husayn Ashchi. Ahang Rabbani, trans. Lifetime with Bahá'u'lláh, A: Events in Baghdad, Istanbul, Edirne and ‘Akká while in the Company of Bahá'u'lláh (2007-03). One-third of a lengthy primary-source history, annotated by translator.
  9. Abdu'l-Bahá. Light of the World: Selected Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá (2021). Tablets of ‘Abdul-Bahá describing aspects of the life of Bahá’u’lláh including the tribulations He suffered, events in His homeland, the purpose and greatness of His Cause, and the nature and significance of His Covenant.
  10. Stephen Lambden. Arjen Bolhuis, comp. List of Baha'i Studies and Translations. A list of content available at Lambden's personal website, Hurqalya Publications, with select links to manuscripts, texts, introductions. Includes Shaykhi and Bábí studies, bibliographies, genealogies, provisional translations.
  11. Bahá'u'lláh. Kay Lynn Morton, trans. Mathnaví-yi Mubárak (2024). Provisional translation of a mathnavi (poem) written in Constantinople in 1863 following His initial declaration in Baghdad. Translated in rhyming couplets with extensive annotations, summary, preface, and introduction.
  12. Bahá'u'lláh. Frank Lewis, trans. Mathnaviyí-i Mubárak (1999). Provisional translation
  13. Necati Alkan. Nazif, Suleyman (2021). Brief excerpt, with link to article offsite.
  14. Frank Lewis (published as Franklin Lewis). Poetry as Revelation: Introduction to Bahá'u'lláh's 'Mathnavíy-i Mubárak' (1999). On Bahá'u'lláh and the poetic tradition, Sufism, Sufi poetry, and Rumi; rhetorical orientation; date of the poem and history of the text; and interpretation and the translation process. Includes a provisional translation.
  15. Adib Taherzadeh. Revelation of Baha'u'llah volume 2: Adrianople, 1863-1868 (1977). Link to formatted book (offsite).
  16. Bahá'u'lláh. Juan Cole, trans. Tablet of Nightingale of Separation (Lawh-i-Bulbulu'l-Firáq) (1998).

2.   from the Chronology (38 results; less)

  1. 1844-03-21
      Edict of Toleration was issued by the Sultan of Turkey: The Muslim government of the Ottoman Empire was compelled by the Western Powers, notably Britain and France, to grant religious tolerance to all nations within its borders. Broader questions of religious tolerance, such as might presumably involve Jewish land rights and Jewish immigration are not mentioned in the Edict. [Sours (below) p9]

      To set the context, this came during the period known as "Tanzimat" (lit. Reorganization) 1838 to 1876. The Tanzimat era was characterised by various attempts to modernise the Ottoman Empire and to secure its territorial integrity against internal nationalist movements and external aggressive powers. The reforms encouraged Ottomanism among the diverse ethnic groups of the Empire and attempted to stem the tide of the rise of nationalism in the Ottoman Empire. During the Tanzimat period, the government's series of constitutional reforms led to a fairly modern conscripted army, banking system reforms, the decriminalization of homosexuality, the replacement of religious law with secular law and guilds with modern factories. The Ottoman Ministry of Post was established in Istanbul in 1840. [Wikipedia]

      The fulfillment of the prophecies of Christ and of the Bible has been over a period of a hundred years or more matter of common knowledge and remark in the West. But the full extent of that fulfillment is only seen in Bahá'u'lláh. The proclamation of His Faith was made in 1844, the year when the strict exclusion of the Jews from their own land enforced by the Muslims for some twelve centuries was at last relaxed by the Edict of Toleration and "the times of the Gentiles" were "fulfilled." [GPBiv Introduction by George Townshend]

    • See The 1844 Ottoman "Edict of Toleration" in Bahá'í Secondary Literature by Michel W. Sours and published in the Journal of Bahá'í Studies Vol 8 no 3 1998 pp 53-80.

      Michael Sours makes the point that there have been some Christian notions that have been adopted uncritically by a number of Bahá'í apologists that cannot be supported: 1. That Jews were strictly excluded from Palestine for 1,260 years prior to 1844 2. That Muslim Authorities were responsible for this exclusion 3. That the 1844 Edict ended the exclusion and enabled Jews to immigrate to Palestine 4. That the Edict brought about the fulfilment of the prophecy concerning the "times of the Gentiles". By extension it was the Christian maltreatment of Jews in Europe and elsewhere that prompted the large migration in the 19th and particularly in the 20th century. [Sours p77]

  2. 1844-08-11
      The Báb sent Mullá `Alíy-i-Bastámí to Najaf and Karbalá to proclaim His Cause among the Shaykhís. In Najaf Mullá `Alí delivered a letter from the Báb to Shaykh Muhammad-Hasan Najafí, the leading Shí`í divine and the keeper of the shrines in Iraq. [BBRSM15; DB87-91; SBBH20–1, HotD46]
    • The Shaykh's rejection of the claim led to a violent debate. Mullá `Alí was taken to Baghdád and imprisoned there. After a public trial, a joint tribunal of Sunní and Shí`í `ulamá, he was sent to Istanbul. He was the first martyr of the Bábí Dispensation. It is significant that Mullá Hasan Gawhar, a leading figure of the Shaykhí school, participated in the condemnation as it marks the first major challenge to Bábism from a Shaykhí leader. [Bab27, 37–8, 58; BBR83–90; BBRSM17; BKG31; DB90–2; MMBA, BBR2p17, GPB10]
  3. 1845-04-16 — Mullá `Alíy-i-Bastámí was removed from his prison cell in Baghdád and taken to Istanbul, where he was sentenced to hard labour in the imperial naval dockyard.
  4. 1845-06-28
  5. 1846-12-00 — Mullá `Alíy-i-Bastámí died in Istanbul naval dockyards. He was the first martyr of the Bábí Dispensation. [Bahá'í Encyclopedia]
  6. 1861-06-25 — Death of Sultán 'Abdu'l-Majíd and accession of Sultán 'Abdu'l-'Azíz to the Ottoman throne. He ruled until 1876. [BBR485]
  7. Note: BKG139 says this was 14 August.
  8. 1862-05-10 — The Persian ambassador requested that the Ottomans move the Bahá'u'lláh farther from Persia.
  9. 1863-01-00 — The governor of Baghdád, Námiq Páshá, received the first of 'five successive commands' from 'Alí Páshá, the Grand Vizier of Turkey, to transfer Bahá'u'lláh to Constantinople. This order was ignored by the governor, who was sympathetic to Bahá'u'lláh. In the next three months, four more orders were received and similarly ignored before the governor was compelled to comply. [BKG154; GPB131]
  10. 1863-03-26
      Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Tablet of the Holy Mariner on the fifth day of Naw-Rúz. The Tablet was revealed to the friends present and Nabil wrote that they understood it portended to a new period and greater tests. His further exile was being foretold. Immediately after it was chanted Bahá'u'lláh ordered the tents to be folded and everyone to return to the city. The party had not yet left when a messenger arrived from Námiq Páshá summoning Bahá'u'lláh to the governorate the next day to receive the announcement that he was to be transferred to Constantinople. [RB1:228-229; SA163-165, 234; BKG154; GPB147]
    • The Tablet was recited by Mírzá Áqá Ján. [RB1:228]
    • See GPB147 and RB1:228 for the effect on those present.
    • See Tablet of the Holy Mariner (Lawh-i-Malláhu'l-Quds): Study Compilations by Aziz Mboya. .
  11. 1863-03-27
      Bahá'u'lláh met the deputy governor in a mosque opposite the Government House where the Farmán which had been sent by the Sultán was announced to Him and advised that He and His family were to be exiled to an unknown destination. Námiq Páshá, the governor of Baghdad, could not bring himself to meet Bahá'u'lláh and give Him this news in person. At first he summoned Him to the courthouse but when He refused to attend he asked Him to meet in the mosque. [CH81-82,BKG154–5; GPB147–8; RB1:229]
    • See BKG155–6 and GPB148 for the effect of this news on the believers.
    • Bahá'u'lláh and His family had been given Ottoman citizenship by this time. [BBRSM66]
    • See BKG156–8 for a list of those chosen by Bahá'u'lláh to migrate with Him.
    • See TN50–3 for the story of the sedition behind Bahá'u'lláh's removal from Baghdád.
    • Fearful of Bahá'u'lláh's growing influence in Baghdád, the Persian Consul-General, Mirza Burzurg Khan, had made representation to the Sultan to have Him delivered to the Persian authorities. The Sultan, although the Caliph of Sunni Islam, considered himself a mystical seeker and was no doubt intrigued with Bahá'u'lláh from the reports of the Governor of 'Akká, Námiq Páshá, and his own Prime Minister, 'Alí Páshá. This combination of sympathy and interest led the Ottoman government to invite Him to the capital rather than send Him to a remote location or return Him to Persia to an uncertain fate. [BBD196; BBIC13, 57note 68; RoB1p142-147]
  12. 1863-04-26
      Mírzá Yahyá fled Baghdád, travelling to Mosul in disguise. [BKG158; RB252–5]
    • Mírzá Yahyá had, since Bahá'u'lláh's return, concealed himself indoors ore, whenever danger threatened, would withdraw himself to Hillih or Basra where he disguised himself as a Jewish shoe merchant. [BKG224]
    • CH59 says that he left Baghdád about two weeks before the larger party.
    • Bahá'u'lláh advised him to go to Persia to disseminate the Writings of the Báb. [RB1:252–3]
    • Mírzá Yahyá abandoned the Writings of the Báb and travelled surreptitiously to Constantinople, joining the exiles when they passed through Mosul. He had obtained a passport in the name of Mírzá 'Alíh-i-Kirmánsháhí. [ESW167–8; RB1:255; BKG224]
    • See ESW167 and RB1:253–4 for Yahyá's movements.
  13. 1863-05-09
      Bahá'u'lláh and His party left Firayját for Istanbul although at this point the destination was unknown to the exiles. [CH57, GPB156; SA235; BKG176-178]
    • On the day of His departure from Firayjat Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Lawḥ-i-Firáq (In 'Iráq it is known as Lawḥ-i-Firayját) [Tablet of Firayját (Lawḥ-i-Firayját) / Tablet of Firáq (Lawḥ-i-Firáq) compiled by Violetta Zein]
    • The journey took 110 days. [GPB156]
    • For the number of people on the journey see BKG179 (72), GPB156 (26 plus members of His family plus guards), RB2:5–6 (54) and SW13:277 (72).
    • The caravan consisted of fifty mules, a mounted guard of ten soldiers with their officer, and seven pairs of howdahs, each pair surmounted by four parasols. By virtue of the written order of Namiq Pasha Bahá'u'lláh was accorded an enthusiastic reception by the religious notables and government officials as the caravan wound its way northward. [ALM12]
      • Gawhar Khanum, Bahá'u'lláh's third wife whom He married in Baghdad before the declaration of His mission, remained in Baghdad with her brother, Mirza Mihdiy-i-Kashani. [MoF95] The dates of her birth, marriage and death are not known. For some years she was among the Bahá'í refugees in Mosul and later went to 'Akka at Bahá'u'lláh's instruction. She gave birth to one daughter, Furughiyyih; mother and daughter both became Covenant-breakers after the passing of Bahá'u'lláh. [CoC22]
    • For the details of the journey see BKG176–96; GPB1567; SW13:277.
    • See BKG180 for a map of the journey.
    • They passed through the following:
      • Judaydih
      • Dilí-'Abbás
      • Qarih-Tapih
      • Saláhíyyih (stay two nights)
      • Dúst-Khurmátú
      • Táwuq
      • Karkúk (stay two days)
      • Irbíl
      • By the River Záb
      • Bartallih
      • Mosul (stay three days)
      • khú
      • Jazírih
      • Nisíbín (Nusaybin)(On the boarder of Iraq, Syria, and Turkey)
      • Hasan-Áqá
      • Márdiín (three day halt)
      • Díyár-Bakr (after three days of travel) (stay two-three days) It was here that Mírzá Yahyá made himself known to the party after having travelled in disguise from Mosul. [ALM12]
      • Ma'dan-Mis (one night)
      • Khárpút (one day's travel) (stay two or three days)
      • Ma'dan-Nuqrih
      • Dilik-Tásh
      • Sívás
      • Túqát (Tokat)
      • Amasia (Amasya)(stay two days)
      • Iláhíyyih (the last day of the overland journey)
      • Sámsún on the Black Sea. (110 days after departure) [The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1953: Information Statistical & Comparative p43]
    • As the party drew close to Sámsún on the Black Sea Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Súriy-i-Hawdaj. [BKG195; RB2:6]
    • Picture
    • The party remained in Sámsún for seven days. [GPB157]
  14. 1863-08-13
      Bahá'u'lláh and His party departed from Sámsún by steamer for Istanbul. [BKG196; GPB157]
    • They touched in Sinope, a port of call on the 14 of August and in Anyábulí on the 15th. [The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1953: Information Statistical & Comparative p43]
  15. 1863-08-16
      Bahá'u'lláh and His party arrived at Constantinople at noon. He was received with great honour by a government official appointed. At that time it was a city of about 100,000 inhabitants. [BKG197; GPB157; RB2:1]
    • Picture.
    • The band of exiles had been augmented along the journey and now numbered about 70. At first the Governor allotted them space in an inn that was inadequate for their numbers and then 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked the governor that the family have a house apart. Mírzá Yáhyá and his family were invited to share the house. [CH59]
    • See The Bahá'í Faith in Turkey or Essays and Notes on Babi and Bahá'í History Chapter 4 by John Walbridge.
  16. 1863-08-17
      Bahá'u'lláh in Constantinople

      "spot that art situate on the shores of the two seas" [KA217]

      Upon arrival He and His family were driven to the residence of Shamsi Big near the Sharif Mosque. They stayed here about one month. His companions were given accommodation elsewhere in the city. [BKG197, 204; GPB157–61, HDBFXXVIII]

    • See BKG197–204 for an account of Bahá'u'lláh's stay.
    • His arrival in Constantinople and stay of about 5 years marked the first time in history that a Manifestation of God had set foot in the European continent. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 2 June 1982 addressed To the Friends gathered at the International Conference in Dublin.]
    • Among the works Bahá'u'lláh revealed in Constantinople was Mathnaví-i-Mubárak. [RB2:29–54]
  17. 1863-08-30 — Death of Sádhijíyyih, 18-month-old daughter of Bahá'u'lláh and Mahd-i-'Ulyá. Her body was buried in a plot of land outside the Ádirnih Gate of Constantinople. [BKG203]
  18. 1863-08-31
      Bahá'u'lláh was resident in the House of Shamsí Big near the mosque of Khirqiu-i-Sharifh. During this period He revealed:
    • The Subhánika-Yá-Hú (Tablet of the Bell). [BKG206; BW14:632; RB2:18]
    • See SDH41-43 for the story of Hájí Mirzá Haydar-'Alí and the use of this tablet during his imprisonment in Egypt.
    • He also revealed the Lawh-i-'Abdu'l-'Aziz Va-Vukalá. [BW19p583]
  19. 1863-09-17 — Because the Shamsi Big residence was too small Bahá'u'lláh and His family were moved to the house of Visi Pasha, situated near the mosque of Sultan Fatih Mehmet. They spend three months in this residence. [ALM21]
  20. 1863-11-31
      Prelude to the exile from Constantinople:
    • It was during Bahá'u'lláh's stay in Constantinople that the conciliatory attitude of the authorities changed to that of hostility as a direct consequence of the intrigues and misrepresentations of the Persian Ambassador. [ALM16]
    • News was brought to Bahá'u'lláh by Shamsí Big of the possibility that He would be transferred to Adrianople. [BKG199]
    • Bahá'u'lláh refused to leave, on pain of martyrdom, but Mírzá Yahyá and his comrades, cowardly and fearful, persuaded Him to go. [BKG201–3]
    • Sultán 'Abdu'l-'Azíz issued an edict banishing Bahá'u'lláh to Adrianople. It was issued "less than four months after the arrival of the exiles." [GPB159–60; RB2:57]
    • The decision was taken to further exile Bahá'u'lláh in part due to the machinations of the Persian Ambassador Mírzá Husayn Khán and his accomplice, Hájí Mírzá Hasan-i-Safá whose government was continually pressing the Turkish forces to arouse hostility against HIm. [GPB159]
    • See BBIC:34, note 68, BKG201 and GPB159 for reasons for the edict.
    • On the same day Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Lawh-i-'Abdu'l-'Azíz-Va-Vukalá, a Tablet addressed to the Sultán. When the Grand Vizier perused it he turned pale. The text of this Tablet has been lost. [BKG206; GPB160]
    • "...Sultán 'Abdu'l-'Azíz, the self-styled vicar of the Prophet of Islám and the absolute ruler of a mighty empire. So potent, so august a personage was the first among the sovereigns of the world to receive the Divine Summons, and the first among Oriental monarchs to sustain the impact of God's retributive justice." [GPB158]
  21. 1863-12-01
      Bahá'u'lláh and His companions left Constantinople for Adrianople. Carriages, wagons and pack animals were provided as well as ox-carts for their possessions. [BKG204; GPB161; RB2:427; ALM22]
    • His departure has been described by Shoghi Effendi as the event that "closes the opening scene of one of the most dramatic episodes in the ministry of Bahá'u'lláh". [GPB162]
    • The journey took twelve days and they passed through the following villages en route: [BKG204; GPB161; The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1953 :Information Statistical & Comparative p43]
      • chik-Chakmachih Three hours from Constantinople - spent one night [N7N21]
      • Buyúk-Chakmachih Arrived about noon. [N&N23]
        • Picture of the bridge at Buyúk-Chakmachih (Büyükçekmece) which Bahá'u'lláh and His companions crossed on their way from Constantinople to Adrianople.
        • Map.
      • Salvarí The procession left at midnight in the pouring rain and intense cold.
      • Birkás
      • Bábás
      • Bábá-Iskí
    • See BKG204–5, GPB161 and RB2:62 for the rigours of the journey. The winter was extremely cold and the travellers were not clad for freezing weather.
  22. 1868-04-00
      Seven Bahá'ís in Constantinople were arrested and interrogated by a commission of inquiry whose mandate it was to verify the claims of Bahá'u'lláh and Mírzá Yahyá. [BKG250–2; GPB179; MF99–100 RB2:3289]
    • See RB2:329–32 for the conduct of the interrogations.
    • Among those arrested was Mishkín-Qalam, the calligrapher. He was particularly distraught because he is not allowed pen or paper. Eventually these were given to him. [BKG252]
  23. 1868-07-26
      Bahá'u'lláh's banishment to 'Akká

      Sultán `Abdu'l-`Azíz, at the instigation of his Prime Minister, Ali Pasha, issued a firmán condemning Bahá'u'lláh to perpetual banishment. [BKG283–4; GPB179, 186; RB2:401–2]

    • See RB2:402 for a list of those included in the edict.
    • BKG261, GPB181 and RB2:403 indicate that it was not until the party reached Gallipoli that they were informed that their ultimate destination was `Akká.
    • BBD40 says that it was because of the disloyal Mírzá Yahyá's plotting against Bahá`u`lláh that the Turkish authorities condemned Him to perpetual imprisonment in `Akká.
  24. 1868-08-22
  25. 1876-06-04
      `Abdu'l-`Azíz either committed suicide or was assassinated. [BBD2; BBR485; GPB225]
    • Accession of Murád V to the throne. [BBR485]
    • Bahá'u'lláh had predicted his downfall in the Lawh-i-Fu'ád. [RB3:87]
      • See Wikipedia for a synopsis of this Tablet.
    • Bahá'u'lláh stated that the tyranny of Sultán `Abdu'l-`Azíz exceeded that of Násiri'd-Dín Sháh because the Sultán exiled Bahá'u'lláh to the Most Great Prison without any reason whereas the Sháh had reason to be fearful of the Bahá'ís because of the attempt on his life. [BKG412]
    • Bahá'u'lláh had addressed two Tablets to the Sultán including the Súriy-i-Mulúk (Tablet to the Kings) but he did not respond. [BBD2]
    • See The Summons of the Lord of Hosts p177-181 for the Lawh-i-Fu'ád and p185-235 for the Súriy-i-Mulúk.
  26. 1876-08-31 — Deposition of Murád V followed by the accession of `Abdu'l-Hamíd II to the Sultanate of the Ottoman Empire, upon which the banishment decree of Sultan 'Abdu'l-Aziz for Bahá'u'lláh was relaxed.
  27. 1901-04-00 — The Iranian ambassador to the Ottoman government at Istanbul, `Ala'u'l-Mulk, filed a report with the Office of Foreign Ministry in Tihran which was subsequently presented to the Shah.
  28. 1903-05-00
      Russian poet Isabella Grinevskaya wrote the play "Báb" which was performed in St. Petersburg in 1904 and again in 1914 and once again in 1917. It was translated into French and Tatar (and later into German by Friedrich Fiedler) and lauded by Leo Tolstoy and other reviewers at the time. It is reported to have been Tolstoy's first knowledge of the Faith.
    • In 1910-11 she spent two weeks in Ramleh as a guest of `Abdu'l-Bahá and after she returned to Russia she had several letters and Tablets from Him.
    • Immediately upon her return from Egypt in January of 1911 she began work on the book "A Journey in the Countries of the Sun", an account of her visit with 'Abdu'l-Bahá. This work was not completed until 1914 because in the summer of 1912 she made a trip to Paris to work with the French translator of "Báb", Madame Halperin, and when she returned to Leningrad she began work on the drama entitled Bahá'u'lláh. It was published in Leningrad in 1912 but was never performed. "Journey", a book of some 550 pages did not get published because of the disruption caused by the advent of the war. See BW6p707-712 for the article "Russia's Cultural Contribution to the Bahá'i Faith" by Martha Root.
    • For a photo see BW6p709 or here.
    • Also see Notes on the Bábí and Bahá'í Religions in Russia and its territories by Graham Hassall.
    • Isabella Grinevskaya (the pen name of Beyle (Berta) Friedberg), born in Grodno in 1864, died in Istanbul in 1944. [Revolvy] In His message to Isabella Grinevskaya, 'Abdu'l-Bahá praised her efforts to stage theatrical performances about the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh but cautioned her that people's attention at that moment was focused on "war and revolution." However, He added, "the time for staging it will come" and it will "have a considerable impact" in Europe.

      Ms. Grinevskaya's play about the Báb was first staged in St. Petersburg in January 1904. Mr. Tolstoy read the play and wrote Ms. Grinevskaya to praise her and share his sympathy with the Baha'í teachings, according to an article by Martha Root in the 1934-1936 edition of The Bahá'í World.

  29. 1904-00-05
      Through the year the Covenant-breakers plotted until the friendly governor of `Akká was replaced by one hostile to `Abdu'l-Bahá. Mírzá Muhammad-`Alí stirred up opposition in certain elements of the population. [AB111; CB232]
    • Newspapers in Egypt and in Syria wrote false reports about `Abdu'l-Bahá. [AB111; CB232]
    • Mírzá Muhammad-`Alí drew up an official indictment against `Abdu'l-Bahá full of false accusations. [AB112; CB232; MBBA82-83]
    • These actions resulted in the arrival of the first Commission of Inquiry, sent by Sultán `Abdu'l-Hamíd. [AB112; CB233]
    • The Commission summoned `Abdu'l-Bahá to answer the accusations levelled against Him and upon receiving His replies, the inquiry collapsed. [AB113–14; CB233]
  30. 1905-00-00
      A second Commission of Inquiry, under the chairmanship of `Árif Bey, arrived in `Akká further to investigate the charges laid against `Abdu'l-Bahá. [AB117–25; BBR320 3; CB234–7; GPB269–71]
    • See BBR322 for difficulties in dating this event. All Bahá'í sources indicate that this took place in 1907 but documents in the Ottoman State Archives indicate that it took place in 1905.
    • The Commission returned to Turkey amid political upheavals and its report was put to one side. [AB122–3; CB237; GPB271]
  31. 1908-07-23 — The Young Turks issued a declaration demanding the restoration of the old constitution of Midhat Páshá and threatening the overthrow of the government. [AB123]
  32. 1908-07-24
      In Constantinople, a bomb intended for Sultán 'Abdu'l-Hamíd as he returned from the mosque on Friday, killed and injured a number of people. This event prompted the authorities to recall all the members of the Commission who were gathering evidence against 'Abdu'l-Bahá at the time. Some months later the "Young Turk" revolutionaries demanded the release of all political and religious prisoners. 'Abdu'l-Bahá was free by in September. [AB123; BBD4; BBRXXX; CB237; DH71; GPB272]
    • A cable was sent to Constantinople to enquire whether `Abdu'l-Bahá was to be included in the amnesty. `Abdu'l-Bahá was set free. [AB123; GPB272]
  33. 1909-04-27
      `Abdu'l-Hamid II was deposed. [BBR486]

      Sultan 'Abdu'l-Hamid II lived from 1842 to 1918) and reigned from 1876 to 1909. During his reign large portions of the Ottoman Empire were lost. Following his defeat in the war with Russia in 1878, Tunisia was occupied by France (1881), and Egypt was controlled by Britain (1882). In 1897, the Empire was forced by the Europeans to recognize the autonomy of Crete. The Sultán ruled as a despot, and brutally repressed the Armenians between 1894-6. In 1908, due to the lack of support among the army and the rise of the Young Turks, 'Abdu'l-Hamid was forced re-enact the Constitution of 1876 which he had suspended earlier, and which, for the first time in an Islámic state, defined the rights of both the ruler and his subjects. He was ultimately deposed when he attempted to plot a counterrevolution against the Young Turks and was exiled to Salonika, where he died in disgrace.

    • See AY189-191 for a description of his riches and his last years. He died in January of 1918.
    • Accession of Muhammad (-Rishád) V [BBR486]

      The last Ottoman Sultán, Muhammad VI, was deposed and was succeeded briefly by a cousin, but in 1924, the caliphate was abolished by Ataturk. The seat of the Caliphate had been located in Istanbul since 1517. [ALM3; PDC98-102]

  34. 1913-06-13 — The Second Balkan War broke out on 16 June 1913 when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with the territorial gains it had made in the Treaty of London (1913), attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece. Those armies repulsed the Bulgarian offensive and then attacked, penetrating into Bulgaria. Romania and the Ottomans used the opportunity to intervene against Bulgaria to make territorial gains. In the resulting Treaty of Constantinople (29 September 1913) with a redrawing of borders on ethnical lines they recovered Adrianople. [Colonialism, Nationalism and Jewish Immigration to Palestine: Abdu´l-Baha's Viewpoints Regarding the Middle East by Kamran Ekbal p6]
  35. 1928-12-13 — The pronouncement of the verdit of the court in the case of the official inquiry into the activities of the Bahá'í Faith.

    As the result of being mistaken for a secret political society, the members of the Spiritual Assemblies of Constantinople and Smyrna were seized and imprisoned at the police station overnight. After cross–examination for eight consecutive hours by high state officials, they were acquitted and released the following day. The result was that all newspapers carried the story with front page headlines, and the population was made thoroughly aware of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW3 p121; Bahá'í Administration> p151-152; Bahá'í Administration p167-169]

  36. 1954-00-00 — The purchase of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Istanbul was concluded. [SS38]
  37. 1996-06-03
      The Bahá'í International Community and 150 Bahá'ís from many countries participated in the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and the parallel Non-Governmental Organization Forum in Istanbul. [BINS365:5]
    • The Bahá'í International Community presented a statement entitled Sustainable Communities in an Integrating World to the Plenary . [BIC History Habitat II]
  38. 2009-02-14 — Regional Conference was held in Istanbul, Turkey. [BWNS698]
  39. 2016-05-23
      The first World Humanitarian Summit was held in Istanbul, Turkey. The summit, organized by the United Nations, called on government leaders as well as those from business, aid agencies, civil society and faith-based organizations to consult on the question of disaster relief.
    • A statement released by the Bahá'í International Community for the occasion, titled "Rising Together: Building the Capacity to Recover from Within" is available at their website.
 
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