The French Consulate and Trade in Antalya in the 17th Century

Our knowledge of Antalya’s foreign trade both in the 17th century and in the periods before and after this century is quite limited. In this century, Ottoman maritime trade was concentrated in ports such as Izmir and Alexandria, which had better equipment and commodity diversity capacities compared to Antalya. However, Antalya was one of the first consulates opened in the Levant by France, which replaced Venice in the Eastern Mediterranean trade. Except for a ten-year period (1644-1655), which remains uncertain despite its commercial weakness, this study focuses on the French efforts and justifications for establishing a foothold in Antalya throughout the 17th century. In the light of consular correspondence, other French sources, and Ottoman archival documents, commercial activities, items of manufactured goods, and raw materials exported from the city’s port have been identified. Documents containing especially commercial records of a limited number of ships departing from the port of Antalya allow us to observe the commercial traffic between France and Antalya during this period. In addition, the size and volume of this trade can be determined greatly through the cotime tax imposed on the cargo of French ships. All these efforts of France, which almost monopolized the foreign trade of the city, will be examined in detail and comprehensively in terms of both the institutional structure and the commercial connections it undertook. A determination of Antalya’s commercial place and importance in the Eastern Mediterranean in the 17th century will be attempted.