Reşadiye Mahallesi

In the heart of Istanbul, nestled within the Çekmeköy district, lies Reşadiye Mahallesi. Its story begins not amidst the minarets and bustling markets of the city center, but far away in the northeastern mountains, amidst the echoes of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, also known as the 93 Harbi. Reşadiye Mahallesi was born from the ashes of this conflict. A group of Laz people, displaced from their homes, sought refuge in Istanbul. In 1880, 38 families from the Gürcü community of Hopa, Artvin, arrived in the city, their lives uprooted by war. By decree of the Sultan, they were granted 4400 dönüms of land in a forested area belonging to the Atik Valide Sultan foundations. This land would become their new home, Reşadiye Mahallesi. The year 1880 marked the beginning of their new life in this previously uninhabited area. The name “Reşadiye” however, wouldn’t grace this neighborhood until much later. Initially, the settlement was called Hamidiye in 1889. It was only in 1911, under a new directive from the reigning Sultan, that it was renamed Reşadiye. The early settlers, eager to cultivate their new land, began clearing the forest. This alarmed the Hazine-i Hassa, the treasury and privy purse, who sought to protect the valuable timber. The authorities decided to relocate the settlers to Bursa, offering them alternative land. However, the Laz people refused to abandon the land they had painstakingly cleared and cultivated. They argued that they had already invested significant effort in transforming the wilderness into arable land. They petitioned the government, requesting the official allocation of the 4400 dönüms already granted to them and an additional 3000 dönüms. They pledged to fulfill all their obligations, even promising not to cut down a single tree, if the government would construct a mosque and a school for them. Despite their promises, the settlers continued their unsustainable practices. The issue escalated, and their relocation to Bursa was once again proposed. Sultan Abdülhamid II, however, intervened, refusing to allow any of the migrants to be displaced. To protect the forest, he ordered the construction of a permanent police station in the area in 1893. Jandarma and forest rangers were stationed there, curbing further deforestation. The community of Reşadiye Mahallesi continued to grow, their lives intertwined with the fate of Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire. In 1911, new disputes arose with neighboring farms, prompting yet another discussion about relocating the community. The government, however, again chose to avoid further displacement. Instead, they divided the village into two separate administrative units. The Committee of Union and Progress, in their opposition to Abdülhamid II, even renamed the two villages Aşağı Reşadiye (Lower Reşadiye) and Yukarı Reşadiye (Upper Reşadiye), referencing Sultan Reşad. The name Reşadiye lives on in the present-day Reşadiye Mahallesi, a testament to its resilient community and a reminder of its dramatic origins in the aftermath of war. In 2023, the population of Reşadiye Mahallesi reached 2,783, a testament to the enduring legacy of those first 38 families who sought refuge in Istanbul.