ABSTRACT
Hagop Baronian's A Stroll through the Quarters of Constantinople, depicts a nineteenth century Ottoman capital city that is bustling and complex. A great deal of historiography on the Ottoman Empire highlights the state's tolerant approaches to its non-Muslim subjects. Baronian's life story is, in many respects, a classic story of late Ottoman Istanbul. A migrant to the capital city, in Istanbul Baronian sought a "better" life and one in which he could make an impact on his community and the Empire. Hagop Baronian stands out as a critical voice, not only of his "fellow Armenians," but also of European powers and many of the policies of the Ottoman state. In fact, Hagop Baronian is so highly revered in the Republic of Armenia that the State Theatre of Armenia is named after him. Armenian periodicals printed in Istanbul played a central role in the development of an Armenian consciousness of self in the nineteenth century.
