- published: 26 Jun 2011
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Beyoğlu (Turkish pronunciation: [ˈbejoːɫu]) is a district located on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city (historic peninsula of Constantinople) by the Golden Horn. It was known as Pera (meaning "Across" in Greek) during the Middle Ages, and this name remained in common use until the early 20th century and the establishment of the Turkish Republic.
According to the prevailing theory, the Turkish name of Pera, Beyoğlu, is a modification by folk etymology of the Venetian ambassadorial title of Bailo, whose palazzo was the most grandiose structure in this quarter. The informal Turkish-language title Bey Oğlu (literally Son of Governor/Emir) was originally used by the Ottoman Turks to describe Lodovico Gritti, son of Andrea Gritti who was the Venetian Bailo in Istanbul during the reign of Sultan Bayezid II (Andrea Gritti was later elected Doge of Venice in 1523, during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.)Bey Oğlu thus meant "Son of the Bey (Doge) of Venice", referring to Lodovico Gritti (alternatively known as Alvise Gritti among the Venetians), who was born in Istanbul in 1480 and established close relations with the Sublime Porte, and whose mansion was located at the vicinity of the present-day Taksim Square. Located further south in Beyoğlu and originally built in the early 16th century, the "Venetian Palace" was the seat of the Bailo. The original palace building was replaced by the existing one in 1781, which later became the "Italian Embassy" following Italy's unification in 1861, and the "Italian Consulate" in 1923, when Ankara became the capital of the Republic of Turkey.
In the wintercold I see the blood
clotting slowly in the snow
Unsung heroes cry in the night
may they die before dawn
Broken banners mourn fallen crowns
grieving swords lay all around
As the swansong touches the mountainside
unseeing eyes look at you
Can't you hear it
hear the sorrows vail
Oh, can't you see it
the newborn day
Impaled hearts welcome the end of pain
black blood releasing warrior souls
Vultures circle 'round the fields of grief
another graveyard, another tale
Can't you hear it
hear the sorrows vail
Oh, can't you see it
the newborn day