The Consulate’s Modest Setting

The Consulate is a dull and gloomy building, probably located on a narrow street filled with strange smells and the loud calls of street vendors. Above the door is a large, yellowish, cheap enamel sign showing the royal arms. It looks worn out and is clearly mass-produced. If there’s a garden, a flagpole stands with ropes that slap the side of the building. If there is no garden, the flagpole is attached to a small balcony above the door. On the King’s birthday and every Sunday, a wrinkled Union Jack flag is hung to flap in the wind.

The Bare Entrance Hall

The entrance hall is empty and bare. The sound of heavy boots on the wooden floor echoes through the empty space, making it sound hollow. The walls are painted with a rough blue color and are undecorated, except for a notice about registering the birth of British citizens’ children at the Consulate for a two-shilling fee. Through a partially open door, you can see a small, sad room with a bed in the corner, which is where the kavass (messenger) sleeps. Another door leads to the “chancery,” the office area of the Consulate. Inside, there is a cheap table with old pens, a worn-out blotting pad, a cupboard, and an iron safe for storing papers. There is also a pile of dusty London, Paris, and Constantinople newspapers in one corner and a map of the Balkan Peninsula on the wall. Here, you will find the dragoman, a sharp-witted Armenian wearing a fez and European clothes. He learned English at Robert College in Istanbul and works for the British Consulate in exchange for the protection of living under the British flag.

The Vice-Consul’s Room

Then there is the Vice-Consul’s own room. Full Consuls and Consuls-General, especially if they have families, try to make their homes abroad feel like an English home. But the young Vice-Consul, usually a bachelor with only a few years in the Levant Service, lives simply. His duties are to go where he is needed, sometimes for just a couple of months or up to two years. His needs are basic, and he does not have many belongings to move around from one place to another in Turkey.

Future Improvements for the Consulate

In the future, if the British government allows more funding, the Consulate may be better furnished. The home government might spend around £100 to provide basic items like carpets, chairs, tables, pots, pans, an iron bed, a wardrobe, and a bath.