Samsun Museum exhibition chronicles 500 houses burned in fire 155 years ago
Samsun’s 1869 Great Fire, which ravaged 500 houses in the city center, is brought to life in a new exhibit at the Samsun Museum
An exhibition at the Samsun Museum delves into a devastating fire that ripped through the city 150 years ago. The exhibit sheds light on this disaster that destroyed numerous homes and left many residents homeless.
On Aug. 3, 1869, a fire devastated Samsun, earning the infamous title of “The Great Fire” due to its unprecedented scale. The blaze originated from the carelessness of a guest staying in a room at the Suleyman Pasha Madrasah. This historic building, located opposite today’s Samsun Metropolitan Municipality building, was served by Hacı Omer Efendi as its muderris (Islamic law teacher) at the time of the disaster.
The sources in the museum also mention that due to the wooden structures in the period in question and the inadequacy and primitiveness of the extinguishing tools, the fire spread rapidly in a very short time and spread to the surrounding area, burning hundreds of houses, shops and stores and turning several neighborhoods into ruins.
The Great Fire of Samsun, a catastrophic event in 1869 that left many homeless, continues to be recounted through generations. The recently opened Samsun Museum, a popular destination with nearly 50,000 visitors in just three months, features an exhibit dedicated to this historical disaster. Among the captivating displays are animated miniatures depicting the citizens’ valiant efforts to extinguish the flames with the limited resources available at the time.
‘500 houses destroyed’
In the report he sent to the French Embassy in Istanbul about the Samsun fire, the then-French consul general of Samsun said: “415 houses of our city burned down in the fire. All the people of Samsun are now very sad and distraught. Two days ago, around 10 a.m., cries of fire began to rise from the market center of the city. There are several different interpretations about the location and the cause of the fire. It is not clear which one is correct. The fire was caused by imprudence and barrels filled with oil caught fire next to the place of origin, causing the fire to grow rapidly. That was the cause of this fire. Since this store was located in a wooden inn, the inn was completely destroyed by fire. The houses in the Kale Neighborhood within the castle walls were completely burned. 500 houses in these neighborhoods were destroyed.”
Source: Newsroom
