INTERVIEW WITH MRS. NILUFER

Oh! You should have seen the balls at the town hall. Well-dressed toilet ladies would attend with their gentlemen and perform the latest fashion tangos and foxtrots with envy. Levantines and Turks were having fun side by side. Orchestras would come from the most luxurious casinos in Izmir.

I am the daughter of Marshal Fevzi Çakmak and the teacher of Atatürk's comrades-in-arms from Harbiye, Miralay Efe Kazım. I am also the wife of İzmir's first bus operator and agency, Etem Kantarcıoğlu. My father, who died at the age of 99, and my wife, who died at the age of 54, are buried in Buca. Now the house where the Sponzas lived at the entrance of Buca was ours.

50 years ago, from Şirinyer to Buca, there were vineyards and gardens. There were lush olive groves. From time to time, vineyard towers and small two-room vineyard houses were seen.

He used to play drums in every garden on Eid day. My brother-in-law, Rifat Bey, used to bring drums to our garden. We had fun until the morning. Famous singers of İzmir's İsmet Casino could not help but come to Buca with the waiters.

It is known that Levantine women are fond of horses. However, our ladies were not inferior to them either. I remember many Turkish ladies riding around in the vineyards of Buca.

Every morning, with the 10 train, foreigners would come from Izmir, get on the famous Ali Bey's karaço and go to Kozağacı and Kaynaklı village. A wonderful water flowed in Kozağacı, everyone would spread around him. In the village of Kaynaklar, which was called Tahtalı village in the past, there was a huge plane tree, which is famous for its reputation. There would be fun around him.

If we wanted to go to Izmir, we would go by train.

The real name of Buca's famous Hasanağa Garden is Alyoti Garden. This was Count Alyoti's forest of pleasure. Hasan Ağa from Sarıgöl bought this place in 1926. Hasan Ağa's daughter was very ill because she was in love. Although Hasanağa brought giraffes, peacocks and all kinds of entertainment to this garden, the girl could not get well. When his daughter finally died, Hasan Ağa donated the garden to Kızılay. Fifty years ago, karagöz was played in Hasanağa Garden and all kinds of entertainment were organized. If you only knew how sweet Buca used to be. Many asthma patients, including my husband, have been treated in Buca.

Nilüfer Kantarcıoğlu, 1986

Note 1: This interview was conducted by Yaşar Aksoy in 1986.

Note 2: At the time of the interview, Mr. Kantarcıoğlu was 77 years old.

Source: Smyrna İzmir: Efsaneden Gerçeğe, Yaşar Aksoy, 2002