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Feriköy-Pangaltı (French) Roman Catholic Cemetery

Sultan Abduulmejid opened a new cemetery for the Catholics north of the Taksim Square in 1857, beside the Protestant Cemetery, in Pangaltı. From then on, this was the burial place for the Catholics of Istanbul. Tombs and remains were also collected here from other cemeteries, which were closed down. The cemetery is currently managed by the Roman Catholic Apostle Vicariate of Istanbul. Count Ödön Széchenyi (1869-1922), second son of the biggest Hungarian, István Széchenyi was buried here after living in Istanbul since 1874. He was the one who organized the Istanbul Firefighters (the Museum of Firefighting is also named after him: Kont Seçeni İtfaiye Müzesi), but he also was an academy teacher of military sciences, adjutant of the Sultan and advisor as well. His second wife was Eulalia Christopulos, a Greek from Istanbul, with whom he had four children. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren still visit his tomb, which they founded (great-grandson of Ödön Széchenyi, first prince of Germany, Albert II prince of Thurn and Taxis). Hungarian and Turkish firefighters also place wreaths at the memorial regularly. The tomb was renovated in 2019. The cemetery is the burial place for many other Hungarians from Istanbul. Painter Kálmán Beszédes was also buried here in 1893, although his tomb cannot be located any more. The southern wall of the cemetery features the tomb and memorial plate of seven soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire who fought in the Battle of Gallipoli. József Ürményházi (1899-1957) hat producer, president of the Hungarian Association of Istanbul and Jánis Vendel, a Jesuit is priest are also buried here.

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E-mail:macarkulturmerkezi@mfa.gov.hu