Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries in Greek musical terminology the lay music of the Ottoman court or the secular art music which prevailed in the urban space of the Ottoman Empire was designated as the “external” music (exoteriki mousiki). As religion was one of the most crucial categories of belonging, the secular music was defined as opposed to the ecclesiastical music, which was conceptualized as “internal” music.

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The cemeteries of the Greek-Orthodox population in Constantinople, monuments of the robustness of the Greek Orthodox population at the end of the Ottoman era, are today threatened with extinction. Their preservation is urgently needed, as they constitute quite important monuments of the collective memory of the minority.

The Byzantine music history demonstrates the development of ecclesiastical music into a complete musical system, with its own rules and style. After the Fall of Constantinople and the seize of the Byzantine Empire, ecclesiastical music survived as the music of the Orthodox Church; it kept its high art status in either a creative or static way, always following tradition, often including new pursuits and conceptions adapted to the needs of each period; all of these intrinsic characteristics...

Greek theatre in Constantinople was developed especially during the second half of the 19th century, although performances are recorded as early as the beginning of the century. Particularly industrious were the itinerant professional theatre companies, as well as amateur ones (in schools or associations). The repertoire was comprised of many foreign and Greek plays from all periods, while the composition of original plays, mainly comedies, by Greek Constantinopolitan scholars was also notable....

The first Greek music association in Constantinople founded by Greek intellectuals, ecclesiastical chanters and musicians. It existed between 1863 and 1867-68. Its main focus was the improvement and dissemination of the Greek lay and ecclesiastical music.

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After the Fall, many churches in Constantinople were modified into Muslim religious sites. During the follοwing centuries, quite a few churches burned down due to multiple fires. Later on, during the 19th century, at the time of Tanzimat, many orthodox churches were constructed.

Works of silversmithery and goldsmithery made by orthodox artisans in Constantinople serve as valuable attestations for the variety of artistic and cultural movements that prevailed in the Ottoman capital during the Late Ottoman period. Silversmiths revisited decorative themes introduced by their Byzantine predecessors and were also inspired by respective European artefacts of the late18th century rococo and neoclassical styles. Another source of inspiration was the artistic tendencies of the...