A comparative study of French and Turkish approaches to the memory of the Crimean War dead in Istanbul’s cemeteries

This study explores how France, the Ottoman Empire, and later the Republic of Turkey preserved the memory of soldiers who died in Istanbul during the Crimean War. By analyzing wartime burial sites, postwar cemeteries, death records, and commemorative ceremonies, it highlights both contrasts and commonalities between two cases. After the conflict, French soldiers’ remnants were preserved and transferred to Feriköy Latin Cemetery, while Ottoman war graves gradually disappeared due to urban expansion of Istanbul. Archival records further underscore differences in identity preservation: France systematically documented war deaths, whereas Ottoman records were fragmented and scarce. Both states erected monuments in the memory of their fallen after the war. Although their memorial practices differed, they both reflected a broader shift toward nationalist remembrance. Over time the memory of Crimean War dead faded from their domestic political discourse, but it endured in their diplomatic relations, particularly through continued French commemorations in Istanbul.