Bilingual language newspaper in the Ottoman Empire (1856–1914)
Levant Herald was a bilingual newspaper which existed in the period 1856–1914 in Constantinople. It was founded by British subjects of the Ottoman Empire. The paper had English and French language editions.[1] Published more than fifty years it was one of the long-lived publications in the Empire.[2] However, it was banned from time to time during its run.
History and profile
Levant Herald was started in 1856 under the title Galata Courier.[3][4] Its founder was James Carlile McCoan who also edited it.[5] The paper was temporarily closed down in the period between 29 May and 24 July 1878.[6] The weekly edition of the paper was Constantinople Messenger which was first published on 24 July 1878.[7] Constantinople Messenger was an eight-page publication which was published on Wednesdays.[8] From 1890 to its closure in 1914 the paper was published under the title The Levant Herald and Eastern Express.[9]
Edgar Whitaker was one of the editors of the paper which covered all significant events of the period, including Ottoman-Russian relations, the Bulgarian issue, tensions in the Balkans and the Russo-Ottoman War.[7] Najib Al Hajj was the Cairo correspondent of the paper.[10] It was one of the supporters of Ottoman Sultan Murad V[7] and received financial aid from Khedive Ismail of Egypt in the 1870s.[4] The paper also played a role in the formation of the opposition against Abdulhamit, another Ottoman ruler.[7]
Mark Twain's The Innocents Abroad includes references to Levant Herald in Chapter 34.[8] In the book it is stated that due to its frequent reports about the rebels in Crete the paper was often censored by the Ottoman authorities in the late 1860s.[8] Levant Herald sold 5,200 copies in 1907.[11] It ceased publication in 1914.[3]
References