islamizing istanbul 83liars and hypocrites, engaged in wiles and tricks and did not give alms to the
poor. The sultan’s servants were excessively disobedient and on the verge of
rebellion. Worse still, all classes apparently could think of nothing other than
engaging in adultery, fornication, sodomy, and pederasty. In short, Mehmed
Halife argues that all Muslims were heedless of the Hadith, which states, “If a
city is desecrated and defi led by adultery and fornication, or usury, or rebellion
and sin, and there is no one who is faithful, God will purify it by means of four
things: fi re, famine, epidemic, or by the sword.”^6 According to this logic, fi re
was sent from the other world.
Set off by a young man’s tobacco smoking, the fi re began in the afternoon
either in a store that sold straw products outside of the appropriately named
Firewood Gate west of Eminönü, or in one of the stores in the ramparts out-
side the Gate of the Holy Spring, spreading quickly to the timber stores in the
area. It devastated densely crowded neighborhoods consisting of nearly adjoin-
ing timbered homes situated on narrow streets bordered by apartment houses
several stories tall. It especially affected the lower classes of society, as the well-
to-do lived in stone houses surrounded by open spaces. The strong winds of
Istanbul caused the fi re to spread violently in all directions despite the efforts
of the deputy grand vizier and others who attempted the impossible task of
holding it back with hooks, axes, and water carriers. Patrols were dispersed in
all directions to battle the blaze, but they were bewildered by the quickly mov-
ing fl ames and were unable to hinder the confl agration.^7 Sultan Mehmed IV’s
chronicler, Abdi Pasha, notes that the fi re marched across the city like an in-
vading army: the fl ames “split into divisions, and every single division, by the
decree of God, spread to a different district.”^8 The fi re spread north, west, and
to Unkapanı. According to Mehmed Halife, the spires of the four minarets of
the great mosque of Suleiman burned like candles.^9 By evening, the districts of
Suleimaniye, Şehzade, and Bayezid had turned to ash. Overnight, the fl amesdid not spare the top of the Hippodrome in the east, nor Mahmud Pasha and the
markets at the center of the peninsula, nor Tahtakale and the Jewish neighbor-
hoods of Eminönü, nor areas bordering Topkapı Palace such as Ahırkapı, nor
even the Janissary barracks. By the time the fi re reached Molla Gurani hardly
any structures were still standing. The second day the blaze moved south and
west to Davud Pasha, Kumkapı, and even as far west as Samatya. In short, “in a
twinkling of an eye, the most sumptuous homes and palaces were turned into
wood ashes.”^10
Commentators had a fi eld day. According to Mehmed Halife, “It was as ifthe fl ames of Hell had taken over the world, destroyed its people, and drove
their souls to the palace of assembly for the Last Judgement.”^11 An Ottoman
writer in the valide sultan’s employ writing only a couple of years after the