THE HEROES OF THE ŞIRKET-I HAYRIYE: CAPTAINS

Throughout the history of the Şirket-i Hayriye, his captains were the heroes of pleasant stories that had reached the present day. The Şirket-i Hayriye seemed to have assumed a school mission for the seafarers of the time. Most of the elements who entered the administration as unqualified sailors have progressed rapidly thanks to their personal abilities, captains or craftsmen. The captains of the company were skilled, experienced and most of them were trained in the company. Almost none was schooled. Most of them were people with different characteristics. People loved them, loved them. Their attention and diligence in their mission is understood as they have not caused a major accident for so many years. Considering the bad weather conditions such as the effects of winds, fog and type during the course of the maneuvers, which change the direction and power of the Bosphorus every minute and the power of the docks, the difficulty of using the steamer in the Bosphorus can be better understood. Not to mention the fact that sailing ships are on a pathway for both beginner and boatmen.

In the early days of the Şirket-i Hayriye, most of the captains and the craftsmen were non-Muslims of Greek origin. The first captain, Louis Goujan, was a Frenchman. The captains of Zaharaki, Nikolaki, Dimitri, Marko and Yorgaki were brought up by the sailing ship captainhood. Among the non-Muslim captains of the Şirket-i Hayriye; Palas, Istefanovic, Karava, Franovich, Petrichevic, Kozma, Engli, Constantinid, Petri, Sinudi, Niko and Aleko are considered captains. There were also father-sons who were captains in the Şirket-i Hayriye ferries. Thirty-nine years with the company's ferries and the Bosphorus zigzag voyage with Palas the Captain and Yorgaki Captain father-son. He also served as captain of Aleko as a father and son. The first Muslim captain of the company was Beykozlu Rıza Ömer Kaptan, who started his career as a registrar.

In the Şirket-i Hayriye ferries, the capitals of Muslims were also the subject of discussion. The captains of the Black Sea, who witnessed the development of the company, demanded that they be employed as captain in company ferries. However, the captains, who thought that these traditional methods could not be able to manage the company's ferries, the general manager of the period, Hüseyin Haki Efendi, rejected these applications by saying that I cannot employ those who do not have safety and trust. Ancak In time, among the captains of the Şirket-i Hayriye, the number of Muslims increased. Muslim captains, Salih, Cyprus Mehmet, Eyup, Ishak, Haji Mehmet, car ferry captain Hasan, Osman, Seyfettin, Haci Hasan, Mustafa Haci Esat, Ziya, Sezai, Honor, Fehmi, Tahsin, Hayri captains are remembered.

There was a captain named HUNGARY ...

With long sideburns, Macarovic Captain was an interesting one. He worked in the company's ferries for 35 years without interruption from 1870 to 1905. Two tufts under his chin were referred to him as Bearded Captain due to his white beard. He would not take his favorite seter dog away form his sight, and he would recognize it from afar far more with the coat made of pundits on his back. Another feature was that she chewed one item from his stomach into her mouth, and lowered it back to his stomach.

On a winter day, the traditional cross of Orthodox watering ceremony, incidents that happened to Macarovic:
The captain Macarovic came on the ferry to Arnavutköy on that day. While the captain was approaching the jetty, the Greek boys who gathered in the boats were jumping from the cold to jump into the sea. They were watching the village priest prepare to throw the cross into the water.

When the priest, dressed in a gauzy spiritual robe, in the boats, threw the crucifix into the water, Macarovic's dog, who saw the young men jumping into the sea to rescue the cross from the water, threw himself into the sea. Macarovich's dog was able to swim more than a person before the religious palicarias before taking the cross to land. Scared of the people running after him, the dog started to run towards Bebek District where the captain was seated.

Macarovic Captain, who is afraid of the wrath of religious people who can not get their resenment from the dog after the ceremony, is afraid of going home at night. He stays in the ferry boat for days.

Vegetables From Çengelköy, etiquette from Beylerbeyi, crowd from Kuzguncuk.

These ferries are frequently seen in the Bosphorus due to the frequent landing of the passengers, and these ferries are called ray beggar ferries is. The elongation of these descending rides leads to prolonged expeditions. The delays of the voyage carried out by Ömer Kaptan, one of the well-known captains of the Şirket-i Hayriye, attracted the attention of the company management and his knowledge is used.

Sir, due to some reason such as Vegetables from Çengelköy, etiquette from Beylerbeyi, crowd from Kuzguncuk. Without delay means that I will arrive at the Bridge even before time! When asked to explain this answer further, Çengelköy is a village of vineyard, as it is known. The folk are selling cucumbers to ferries to Istanbul with ferries. It takes a lot of time to load baskets and molds. Beylerbeyi is known as a gentleman of gentlemen, gentlemen's district. If two people meet at the entrance to the pier, they gently address each other by saying, ’Thank you, please! Lead on please!, It's time for the passengers to enter the ferry! Sir, it is known that Kuzguncuk is a village where the crowded Jewish families live. They're attacking the steamer, it's kind of out of the way. 
Now did I explain why I'm late?

The captans who changed his way when he sees the seagulls on his way, and berth to the pier without breaking the egg of birds on the dock. 

The captains of the Şirket-i Hayriye were famous for their mastery. One of them was George Captain, who was originally an Englishman. It was said that George Kaptan, who had never seen an accident, changed his path if he saw a seagull on the water along the route. The captains of Kadri and Georgian Ibrahim were told to have a coffee cup or tray served as the mansions passed very close. The captain of Kadri who was standing next to Kadri captain was told that he had laid the egg tied on the rope to the sea by ferry and approaching the pier without breaking the egg. The captain of the Company, who cannot see for old age, is said to have moved the ferry from the Vaniköy port to the Çengelköy port, without the help of anyone. All these things were worthy of giving an idea about the trust created by the captains of the Şirket-i Hayriye in the eyes of the public, together with their high exaggeration.

Hero Captain: EYÜP KAPTAN 

The captain of the Şirket-i Hayriye, Eyüp Kaptan, was well-known for his knowledge of the Bosphorus. He knew the currents of the Bosphorus, when to approach to the wharf and where to approach the shore well. On October 26, 1915, the Bosphorus ferryboat, which is full of passengers exceeding one thousand, travels along the Bosphorus. As the Russian Sea Vessel’s mine approached very close to the steamer, it is noticed among the pessangers and causes panic among passengers, but with his masterful maneuver, Eyup Captain saves the boat and passengers from a major disaster.

After this incident, Eyüp Kaptan is remembered with gratitude. On December 6, 1918, Eyüp Kaptan coincided with the mine again during an expedition towards the Bosphorus from the bridge. A sailor was sent to Vaniköy to give notice of mine sightings. Before it reaches Vaniköy, the ship explodes to the Vaniköy Pier. The pier is heavily damaged. Lowering the passengers to Kandilli instead of Vaniköy, Eyüp Captain shows his mastery and prevents the loss of life once again.

One More Hero Captain Hayriyi, Mustafa Kemal Pasha is celebrating. 

Another Şirket-i Hayriye captain Hayri Kaptan, who was well known for his master maritime affairs and won the love of the people of Boğaziçi, was Captain. After the start of World War I, Hayri Kaptand was the captain of Neveserin from the Şirket-i Hayriye ferryboats, which were shipped from Romania. While the ferry was attached to the Port of Constanta, a Romanian merchant comes and tells them that Romania will declare war on the Ottoman Empire, so before 28 August 1916, they should leave Romania. Indeed, in August 28, Romania declares war on the Ottoman Empire. Hayri Captain, who is in danger of being drowned by the attack on enemy ships in the Black Sea, sails on the sea, taking advantage of the darkness of the night while he is with the Sütlüce steamer.

In the absence of coal, some wooden parts of the ferries are cut and burned and they reach Istanbul. During the Gallipoli Campaign, Hayri Kaptan made a military shipment with his ferry. When he was on his way to Çanakkale from Kadıköy with ten steamers, he was attacked by an enemy submarine near Gallipoli. The six hundred soldiers he carried in his ferryboat had piled them up on one side of the ship, and he had survived the wound without reducing the water. reaching to the ear of Mustafa Kemal Pasha in Çanakkale.This incident had reached Mustafa Kemal Pasha in Çanakkale. Mustafa Kemal congratulated Hayri Kaptan for this success.

HAYRİ KAPTAN'S FENERBAHÇE LOVE: YELLOW-BLUE Life Boy 

Hayri Kaptan's brave personality was evident in the Bosphorus waters where he served as the captain for thirty-five years. In spite of snow, winter, fog and storm, Hayri Kaptan, despite all the insistence, did not disrupt his voyages. With this feature, the captain had won the trust and love of the people of Bosphorus. Another characteristic of Hayri Kaptan was the fact that he was a fan of the Fenerbahçe football team: his passion went as far as to paint the red-white painted life buoys of the ferry to yellow-blue under the direction.

ŞEREF KAPTAN Greetings the People with the Whistle

Another Şirket-i Hayriye captain, known and loved by the people of Boğaziçi, was Şeref Kaptan, who greeted the people on the shore by playing the whistle. The cheering of all the students in the Bosphorus, especially the students of Galatasaray and Kabataş High School in Ortaköy, and the captain's whistle responses continued until recently. It was a tradition that continued until mid-1980s among school students. Şeref Kaptan, who had become ill first, then became paralyzed and had to leave his post, moved to Beykoz Cemetery with his last ferry, Altınkum, after his death.

People's center of attention, maneuvering master: SÜREYYA KAPTAN

Süreyya was one of the captains of the Şirket-i Hayriye in Bosphorus. In one of the moonlight trips organized by the company in the 1930s, he steered the ferry to the direction of casinos on the shore instead of Çengelköy Pier.Then he docked at a café on the shore of Beylerbeyi, at the head of the ship. It won the admiration of the passengers with his maneuvers and Süreyya Kaptan used his ferry with master maneuvers. In spite of this, he also encountered unpleasant incidents. On one occasion, when Anadolu Kavağı was approaching its pier, due to the air opposition, it had fastened to the pier and the quay had collapsed. However, the accident did not cause injury or loss of life. It was told that he was the owner of a grocery store that was indirectly injured by the accident and was attacked by donkeys wandering around the streets of Anadolu Kavağı and feared the noise of the collision.

TAHSİN KAPTAN By Beybaba

Tahsin Kaptan, who was known as ord Beybaba Süt and won the love of the people of Boğaziçi, had been the cavalry of the Sütlüce ferry for many years. Tahsin Kaptana, who lay down and shielded the ferry, gave his friends the name of ana the beloved of three lovers V. Tahsin Kaptan, as the many captains of the Şirket-i Hayriye, participated in military shipment expeditions during the First World War. On one occasion, when he was on the sway of Tekirdağ with the ferry to the Sultan's boat, Tahsin Kaptan, who did not comply with the warning of Stop! “Of a submarine belonging to the British navy, using the Ottoman flag to mislead him, he landed near the Tekirdağ Pier in order to save the boat from immersion. The burden of the ball shell was landed. Meanwhile, as a result of the torpedo attack of the British submarine, the ferry of the Iskenderun Ferry was greatly damaged by the hitting the engine room. Hayri Kaptan, who did not leave the ferry until the last minutes, showed great usefulness by saving both his crew and the precious cargo carried.