BERLIN EXHIBITION
MARCH 2023
KARABEYOGLU FAMILY COLLECTION
FROM THE PERIOD OF
1872 TO 1942
OF GERMAN, OTTOMAN AND
MESOPOTAMIAN ORIGIN
KARABEYOGLU
DYNASTY
The Karabeyoglu dynasty is rooted in Turkey, this family used to be “derebey” (feudal lords) or «Ayans» who owned extended areas of land in the peripheral provinces during the Ottoman Empire.
From the 18th to the 19th century, the Ottoman Sultan depended on the Karabeyoglu Family to collect taxes and to provide armed warriors from their lands expanding up to the Balkans and South-Western Anatolia.
The Family became more and more powerful during the long wars between Ottomans and Russians because they could muster in the war effort. This did not go unnoticed by the Sultan in Istanbul and the family members were awarded a quantity of high-ranking military and administrative positions which obliged them to move to Istanbul at the beginning of the 19th Century.
Meanwhile some of the family members mostly educated in France, Britain and Germany had a career in the military, engineering and finance and thus achieved key positions in the Ottoman palace and Babiali (Government), including governors, ambassadors and military commanders, all holding the title of “Pasha”.
Karabeyoglu Family had a key role in two important projects on the Ottoman land: the Berlin-Baghdad Railway (BaghdadBahn) and Iraq Petroleum. Both factors were made responsible for the First World War and a game-changer of the world history over a century which still have ongoing effects
Lutfu Kemal (Karabeyoglu) Pasha (in 1892) as head of military garrisons in charge of safety of petroleum transportation from Baku to Anatolia and Mezopotamia.
Kemal Harun Karabeyoglu (in 1879) Founder of Family’s Petroleum business in Baku (Azerbaijan) in cooperation with the NOBLE Family. He established the Karabeyoglu as the major supplier of Kerosene to Mesopotamia.
Sadik Mehmet (Karabeyoglu) Pasha, later ambassador (in 1882) as Head of Protocole during the visit of German Imperial guests to Ottoman Palace in Istanbul.
Osman Saban (Karabeyoglu) Pasha (in 1908) who was in charge of engineering and logistics of Berlin-Baghdad Railway Project on behalf of the Ottoman Sultan.
Kazım Kemal (Karabeyoglu) Pasha (in 1915) highly decorated war hero, a
member of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s inner team, organised military intelligence in the Middle-East, fighting against the British occupation in Iraq.
Harun and Halit (Karabeyoglu) Brothers (in 1912) educated in Germany and Britain, were the two key figures of acquisitions and development of petroleum and mineral deposits in Iraq and Turkey. They established the current company of the family in Baghdad in 1912
MELTEM KARABEYOGLU
