THE COSMOPOLITAN CITY AS DIASPORIC NATION-BUILDING CENTER: ISTANBUL URBAN SPACE, COMMUNITIES AND COSSACK PROJECT 1853-1872

This study explores the role of Istanbul as a diasporic center for nationbuilding in the 19th century, focusing on the Ottoman Cossacks (1853-1872) as a unique multinational group that contributed to the intellectual and political landscape of Southeastern Europe.Situated within the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul served as a crossroads for various national movements, where diverse communities-including the Ottoman Cossacks-engaged in intellectual and political activities aimed at resisting Russian imperialism and fostering national identities.Led by Micha Czajkowski (Mehmed Sadk Pasha), the Ottoman Cossacks played a pivotal role in forming a "Cossack millet" that transcended traditional ethnic boundaries, bringing together Slavic, Greek, Jewish, and Muslim identities into a cosmopolitan military and intellectual community.Using a combination of archival research, urban studies, and prosopographic methods, the study reconstructs the social and intellectual networks of the Cossacks, highlighting their influence on the national movements of the Balkans, particularly in Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Poland.Czajkowski's literary and political activitiesincluding his novels and his role in the Crimean War-advanced ideas of resistance and self-determination among Slavic populations under Ottoman rule.This research underscores the significance of Istanbul not only as an imperial capital but also as a multicultural space that facilitated cross-cultural exchange and the development of national ideas, especially during the era of the "Spring of Nations."The study contributes to our understanding of the Ottoman Cossacks' role in European nation-building and offers new insights into Istanbul as a site of diasporic political and cultural formation.It emphasizes the transformative impact of the Cossacks on both Ottoman society and the broader sociopolitical fabric of Southeastern Europe, with implications for heritage preservation and contemporary understandings of multicultural urban spaces.