Kadıköy’s Famous Duo: Antran and the Art of Maritime Mastery

In past years, there were two famous masters named Antranik from Kadıköy, more specifically from Moda.

One was the renowned shoemaker Antranik Avedyan, and the other was the famous plumbing master Antranik Taşcıyan from Moda. Both were neighbors from Moda Mühürdar.

Antranik Taşcıyan's son, Aret Taşcıyan, lives mostly in New York-New Jersey, USA, as a Director at Lockton, the world's largest privately-owned insurance brokerage firm. However, his home in the country is located in the Manzara Apartment across from the Moda Sea Club.

Aret Taşcıyan described his father: “My father was known as Tesisatcı Antranik Usta and was recognized by almost everyone in Moda. Shoemaker Antranik Avedyan and his brother Bogos Avedyan were close family friends, but we have no familial relationship. There were two other Antraniks known in Moda, one was taxi driver Antranik Demircioğlu and the other was tailor Antranik Şirinoğlu.

My father Antranik Taşcıyan was a very famous plumbing master who had made a name for himself in the social memory of Kadıköy’s Historic Bazaar and the Moda neighborhood, operating until the 1950s and 60s in the Old Moda Bazaar (No: 16). He was also a bicycle and motorcycle champion in 1930s Turkey, and my grandfather Kevork Taşcıyan Bey was the first service master of Singer sewing machines. He lived in Üsküdar İcadiye. My father passed away in 1983, and my mother in 1993... I believe my passion for motorcycles must come from my father.”

Antranik Avedyan, known for his handmade shoes, had a shop (which was called a store back then) located just down the slope from Altıyol to Bahariye Street, with the door number 44/3. Antranik Avedyan worked with his brother Boğos Avedyan and also had various apprentices. It was a modest shop, and outside it read “Antranik Kundura.” Inside his handmade shoes, there would be a ribbon-like label with “ANTRANİK” written on it, near the heel.

We learn about Antranik Avedyan and his brother Boğos Avedyan through an interview conducted by Karin Bal in Agos Newspaper.

Expressing gratitude to Karin Bal and Agos Newspaper for covering topics related to our roots, friends, and neighbors, we listen to Boğos Avedyan's words; as one walks up Bahariye Street past Antique Dealers Street, many shops from the 50s and 60s remain visible. ‘Antranik Kundura’ also stands out with its modest display and shoe models that have managed to preserve themselves until today. One day, a large ‘We are closing’ sign was hung in the window of the veteran shop. Antranik Kundura, opened by the Avedyan brothers 58 years ago, used to be one of the meeting points of the neighborhood. (2014) Today, at 94 years old, we listened to Boğos Avedyan recount the story of the shop that is preparing to bid farewell to Kadıköy.

The father of Antranik and Boğos Avedyan, who were originally from Adapazarı, started baking bread after coming to Istanbul from Erzincan Kuruçay during the years of exile. Located at No. 4/3 on Bahariye Street, one of Kadıköy's busiest streets, ‘Antranik Kundura’ was opened in 1956 by Antranik, born in 1919, and Boğos, born in 1921. The shop, which used to have a large workshop with 15 employees, became famous for its handmade, custom-made women's shoes made from 100% leather. The partnership between the Avedyan brothers, who were born and raised in Kadıköy, continued harmoniously until Antranik Bey passed away in 1992. Boğos Bey, who fondly remembers his brother in every sentence, says, “Antranik was a flamboyant man, tall and handsome. If you saw him, you would fall in love. He had many admirers.” Antranik Avedyan has passed into eternity from the Armenian Cemetery in Hasanpaşa.

Photo: Berge Arabian (Source: Agos Newspaper)

The first male child

Boğos Avedyan explains why they named the shop Antranik: “Our shop was on Bahariye Street… Antranik means the first-born male child in Armenian. I thought his name should be used. I said, ‘The shoemaker's name should be Antranik; what other name are you looking for?’ They said, ‘Is that even possible?’ I said, ‘I won’t let you name it anything else. Would you give a different name to a doctor's office? The sign should be the same as the doctor’s name. This is Antranik’s, and the name of this shop is Antranik…’ In the end, we convinced everyone. Interestingly, the tradesmen did not react. Antranik made himself loved and respected. They didn’t love me as much and didn’t know me. I always worked in the workshop; I was behind the scenes.

A reference point

Antranik Kundura was widely accepted at that time: “When people asked for directions, they would say, ‘Follow Kadıköy, and there’s Antranik’s shop at the corner,’ thus describing the addresses. Antranik Kundura became a reference point. There is another shop at the corner now, but the old habit of referring to it as Antranik Kundura continues when giving directions.”

Boğos Avedyan recounts the years he dedicated to shoemaking while also remembering his brother: “Antranik was a last-maker. He handled sales at our shop on the street and managed the shop. I also apprenticed with a shoemaker in Üsküdar. My late master Kasım was a pioneer in this business. He was also a dervish. From him, I learned a lot about the intricacies of shoemaking, as well as humanity and mysticism. He was a very good man; may God rest his soul. I am not a shoemaker; I don’t know how to drive a nail. I would make the upper part, the sewing part. We always worked on women’s shoes. There are no longer any shoemakers producing handmade shoes. We don’t buy ready-made shoes; we make everything ourselves. The models in the shop are not new, but all the stamp models came from my hands. Making these requires fine craftsmanship.”

Learning Armenian from my mother

Antranik Avedyan began apprenticing with a shoemaker in Karaköy at a young age instead of studying. Boğos Bey, who is two years older than his brother Antranik, loved school and reading very much. He graduated from Istanbul University’s Faculty of Economics. He is very sad that he does not know how to read and write in Armenian: “Why don’t I know how to read and write in Armenian? I didn’t go to Armenian school, so how would I learn? I can speak, but not as well as Turkish; I learned whatever I could from my mother at home…”

Kasım Eroğlu, a veteran master who has been working at Antranik Kundura for 47 years, continues the production of handmade shoes. Haydar Bey, who has also been there for many years, takes care of the sales. Since his nephews do not want their uncle Boğos Bey to tire any more, the doors of the building housing the shop and workshop will close in a few months, and Istanbul will bid farewell to a craftsman along with a chapter of its history.

Master Antranik would immediately copy the elegant shoe models of the 50s and 60s and even produce much more admired shoes. During those years, women wore wide skirts with lots of frills called petticoats. These skirts were very common among college girls, and the 3-5 cm heeled shoes he produced for young girls and all young ladies were in demand. Patent leather women’s shoes were fashionable for years. There were also two-toned and studded shoes worn under the double-breasted suits that were a huge trend for men at that time.

He also made shoes from suede leather. His shoes had fabric labels with “Antranik” written on the insole near the heel. He planned everything himself, carefully examined foreign-made shoes, and even made much better ones.

Academician Dr. Berken Döner, who is also from Moda, shares in an interview with Mario Vanocore, who was born in Moda in 1940 and whose grandfather Antonio Vanocore immigrated there, under the title “Levantine Moda”: “I nostalgically remember the emptiness of Moda in those years, the clarity of its sea, its spring gardens, elegant pavilions, and most of all, its people. Moda was beautiful. There were few cars. There were vast areas for children to play. We played beautiful games in the garden of our church. We had many Greek, Armenian, and Jewish friends. There were mostly Greeks, then Armenians, then Jews… On Nef’i Street, predominantly Armenians lived, while Greeks lived on Neşe Street. The fabric merchants on the Altıyol, Rıhtım side were mostly Jewish. The Greek residents of Moda were very wealthy. They loved to socialize, have fun, and enjoy food and drink. The tradesmen were generally Greek. Among them were Pastry Chef Stasuli Avgerinos, Tavern Keeper Gramatikos, Butcher Stavro Daikopulos, Grocer Foti, Barber Lefter Prento, Tailor Evripidis Trifonidis, Shoemaker Stelyo and Yani Prento, Coffee Seller Panayot, Grocer Panayot Loçuno, Tavern Keeper Perikli, Woman Barber Niko, Ironer Sotiri, Butcher Yorgo Ghohas, Tavern Keeper Vlahos, and Baker Yorgo Paçuras, to name a few. Almost all of them were on Moda Street. Potatoes and lamb legs were sent to Baker Yorgo during Easter time because there were no ovens in homes. The doctors of Moda were generally non-Muslims. We must not forget internist Diamantopoulos and Dr. Manuel Askaridis. Aldo Mey was a Levantine doctor, and Dr. Jirayr Kaynar was Armenian. We lost Dr. Jirayr last year. He did not charge poor patients. He was an angelic person. Dr. Jirayr’s father was also very famous in Kadıköy; Agop Kaynar. He was the master who made Vecihi Hürkuş’s first airplane. Besides these names, there were other tradesmen. Jews generally dealt in fabric trade. They were factory owners and bosses. I don’t remember their names very well. Manifaturacı Dikran Balyan, Sobacı Vartan, Manav Artin, Tesisatçı Antranik Taşçıyan are also unforgettable tradesmen. This colorful environment continued until the 70s, albeit limping. The biggest blow was dealt on September 6/7.” (Source: Dr. Berken Döner - PhD thesis at Kocaeli University on “Cultural Processes in the Daily Life of Minorities: The Istanbul Example.”)

Aret Taşcıyan’s father, Kadıköy’s Plumbing Master Antranik Taşcıyan

Antranik Taşcıyan was a very famous plumbing master who had made a name for himself in the social memory of Kadıköy’s Historic Bazaar and the Moda neighborhood, operating until the 1950s and 60s in the Old Moda Bazaar (No: 16). His son Aret Taşcıyan recounts that his father’s shop was initially on Bademaltı Street and later continued his work in the shop on Dalga Street.

Aret Taşcıyan, who graduated from Robert College and METU and is currently a director at the famous Lockton in the United States, considers his father a thinker in his world and a master of his profession. He has also been one of our close neighbors from the streets nearby in Moda. He is passionate about Moda and is friendly.

Aret Taşcıyan, who graduated from the Aramyan Uncuyan Armenian Primary School in Moda, shared the following about his family tree: “The name Aret is the name of a bird mentioned in mythology and is the Armenian equivalent of the name Turgay. The surname Taşcıyan comes from the stone quarries belonging to our great-grandfathers during the years when the Surname Law was enacted. My father Antranik Taşcıyan had one brother and three sisters. Unfortunately, his brother did not live long and passed away when he was still in his 20s. Over time, the stone quarries that were the subject of the surname were also disposed of. On my mother’s side, there are traces of the Russian Revolution; I had seen my grandmother. They lived with my aunt in a house in Erenköy. I also remember my grandmother and grandfather very well. My mother was born in Sevastopol, Russia. My grandmother, who went to visit her uncle in Sevastopol while pregnant with my mother, could not return when the Russian Revolution broke out in 1918, and my mother was born in Sevastopol. When my mother was two years old, my grandmother found a way to return to Turkey by ship from Sevastopol, and they managed to return to Üsküdar.

Children of Antranik Taşcıyan and Aruşyan Taşcıyan families; Anita and Aret Taşcıyan.

(Source: Aret Taşcıyan archive)

I was born on April 7, 1951, at Üsküdar Zeynep Kamil Hospital. I am a lifelong resident of Moda. I had an older sister, Anita, who was 15 years older than me.

We studied for two years at the Aramyan Uncuyan School in Mühürdar. When we transitioned to the first grade, we were expected to learn to read and write in Armenian and Turkish; we were also expected to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

My parents initially settled in Üsküdar and then moved to Moda Mühürdar. My grandfather is recognized as the first person to bring Singer sewing machines to Turkey. We were a middle-class tradesman family. My father, Antranik Taşcıyan, was a hardware store owner and had a hardware store on Bahariye. He was a master craftsman who did plumbing work in construction and was a famous plumbing master in Moda.

Antranik Taşcıyan participated in motorcycle races held on the grounds of Taksim Barracks.

In his own world, he was passionate about bicycles and motorcycles and participated in bicycle and motorcycle races. These races were organized by the Turkish Touring Club. In those years, medals were awarded to those who ranked in these races. For my father, the pride of the medal was more important than anything else. Unfortunately, my father also had his first heart attack while riding his motorcycle. At the age of 70, he had a heart attack in front of a pharmacy while riding his motorcycle. They rushed from the pharmacy and managed to save him with very quick intervention. But after a while, he passed away.

Everyone knew each other in Moda

At that time, Moda was very different. We experienced both the beauties and the troubled sides of everyone knowing each other. For example, one day in Kadıköy, I was scolded by my father the next day for not giving my place in line to a woman behind me in the dolmuş queue. Behind me in the dolmuş, there was a lady standing three or four people back. I had no idea! Someone came to my father and complained, ‘Your son didn’t give his place to so-and-so yesterday. Is that even possible, Mr. Antranik?’ My father would ask me in his own way, ‘Son, how could you not give your place!’ That’s how it was in Moda back then.

Although my father enrolled me in Saint Joseph High School for my high school education, I was considering going to Kabataş High School when a teacher at school insisted that I take the entrance exam for Robert College. I passed the exam and then applied for a scholarship. Once I secured both a scholarship and a boarding opportunity, I started studying at Robert College and graduated in 1971. I also attended university with the encouragement and support of my uncle Aram Balıkçıyan, thanks to the Gulbenkian Scholarship at METU.”

There are two more famous Antraniks in the entirety of Moda. One of these Antraniks was the Armenian master tailor Antranik Şirinoğlu. His name represented a tailor shop that embodied traditional elegance.

In his small and nostalgic shop on Moda Street in Kadıköy, Master Antranik sewed suits, jackets, and shirts by hand for years. He was not only a tradesman but also one of the most important representatives of the neighborhood's cultural memory, gentlemanliness, and the old Istanbul elegance.

When we say "Moda Antranik'ten Sorulur," we will encounter taxi driver Antranik Demircioğlu this time. When interviewed (in 1998), 75-year-old Antranik Demircioğlu, who had been a taxi driver for 56 years, was also known as “Pat Pat Antranik.” This was due to the age of his vehicle and the sounds coming from its exhaust. Antranik Demircioğlu, who operated a 1953 model Dodge car, was the oldest dolmuş driver in Kadıköy. He came from a poor family. After graduating from elementary school, he worked as a car mechanic for ten years during the years when private cars were very rare in Kadıköy. When he was drafted into the army, he was made a driver. He acquired the driving profession while he was in the army. After being discharged, he became the driver for Sezai Türkeş, one of the founders of STFA. While in the army, he became the designated motorcycle driver for his commander. He told his commander that he would get sick riding the motorcycle in winter, and after he repaired a scrap sanitary vehicle that was with them and made it operational, his commander was both surprised and assigned him as a driver. After returning from the army, in 1946, he started taxi driving with a friend in a 1938 model Plymouth car. He also saved money to own his own car. Eventually, two partners worked day and night and became owners of a 1950 model Desoto car. However, they had no money left to transfer the car to Kadıköy. Somehow, a friend who had a place in the Grand Bazaar lent them some money for good luck, and with this money, they managed to board the car ferry and cross over to

Source: SeaNews Türkiye