Sursock family
The Sursock family (also spelled Sursuq) is a
Overview
The Sursocks were one of Beirut's aristocratic Christian families that moved freely in Ottoman, Egyptian and European high societies. The Sursocks were an integral part of an international bourgeoisie centered in
In the 17th century, members of the Sursock family served as tax collectors and held other key positions on behalf of the Ottoman Empire. As a result, they benefitted greatly from the 1858 Ottoman land reforms, during which they acquired large tracts of fertile land in Palestine and Syria, in addition to extensive holdings from Egypt to Beirut.[9] The means by which this Greek-Orthodox Ottoman family came into possession of such particularly palatial real estate were multiple. As a long line of land owners and tax collectors, the Sursocks were able to leverage their finances and capital using their connections to American, Russian, German and French consuls over the decades to establish extensive economic and political connections.[10] The family developed wide social ties and was close to key Ottoman and European figures, frequently playing host to a wide range of royals and diplomats, including King Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, German Emperor William I, Turkish Sultan Abdul Hamid II and Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, amongst other monarchs.[11][3]
The Sursocks built their fortune through their successful manufacturing and transportation empire, which extended from
Dimitri Sursock was the founder of "Sursock and Brothers," a prominent firm in nineteenth century Beirut which acted as an agent for Lascaridi and Company in the 1850s and 1860s and shipped grain to London, Cyprus and throughout Europe.[citation needed] The firm and its assets were subsequently taken over by his sons after his death: Nicolas, Moussa, Loutfallah, Khalil, Ibrahim and Joseph.[14]
In addition to their manufacturing and export activities, the family increased its fortune as landowners in the Ottoman Levant, amassing profits from both rent and tax collection, as well as from the sale of their many properties. Based in Beirut, the family owned many properties along the Mediterranean region, and, for over one hundred years, the Sursocks owned a significant amount of real estate in the heart of Mersin, Turkey, including many shops and properties in the eponymous Sursock Quarter of the city.[15][16][13] Their financial activities were wide-ranging, and included shipping and the production of silk and other goods built for transport to London and throughout the region.
The Sursocks also became heavily involved in banking in
However, members of the family also gained notoriety for taking advantage of the famine in Lebanon during the First World War by selling overpriced basic food supplies,[19] and for selling large swaths of Arab land in Palestine to Jewish settlers, who demanded the oftentimes forceful eviction of the peasant residents.[20][21]
In the wake of the
History
For many decades, the Sursocks were Lebanon's leading business family. As business partners of the
The Sursocks have shaped Lebanon's history from the late Ottoman period to present; indeed, the selection of Beirut, which would come to be known as the 'Pearl of the Orient,' as the provincial capital was in no small part the result of their entreaties to the Porte.[24]
According to
The Sursocks soon became protégés and dragomen to numerous European and American consuls-general and were afforded political privileges and protection by the various countries with whom they had ties, including
The Sursocks′ success was measured by their admission to the highest circles of both the Ottoman and European elite political spheres. They formed close connections with officials in Constantinople, while aristocrats often approached them to intercede on their behalf with the Ottoman government. One sign of their intimacy with the sources of Ottoman power was the appointment of Alfred Sursock to the post of secretary at the Ottoman embassy in Paris in 1905, who then joined Moussa, Michel and Yusuf Sursock in taking seats within the Ottoman power structure.[7] In addition to connections with Paris, a French report written the following year listed Moussa Sursock as dragoman of the German Consul,[3] and a year later, Mathilde Sursock married Alberto Theodoli, the Italian president of the League of Nations Permanent Mandates Commission, in Paris, thereby extending the family's reach around the Mediterranean.[27][28] Further evidence of the Sursocks' influence can be found in the court accounts recorded under Russian Grand Duke Nicolai Nikolaevich, identifying Nicolas Sursock, who had long maintained a strong relationship with the court, as an "Honorary Dragoman" of Russia.
Alfred, meanwhile, moved throughout the titled circles of Europe and married Donna Maria Teresa Serra di Cassano, daughter of Francesco Serra, 7th Duke of Cassano, who came from an old Italian princely family from Naples.
Michel Sursock, a deputy to the Ottoman parliament, became infamous during the great famine in the First World War for hoarding grain and speculating on the supply. He would not sell the grain, which cost 40 piastres in peacetime, for less than 250 piastres.[9][19]
Assets
Regions
When Moussa Sursock died in 1888, his grand share of the Sursock family assets was divided amongst his brothers, nephews, wife, three sons and five daughters. The assets left to the family included a wide range of real estate in and around Beirut, Mersin (Adana, Turkey), Tartus (Syria) and Alexandria (Egypt) which afforded the heirs significant influence over the region. Moussa also passed on extensive rural holdings, including entire villages in Egypt and Palestine, land situated on Mount Lebanon and, notably, a chateau that would become the fashionable resort of Sofar on Mount Lebanon.[5]
Alfred Sursock villa in Sofar
The Sursock villa in Sofar, constructed in the early twentieth century by Alfred Sursock for his wife Donna Maria di Cassano, bears original foundation inscriptions that proclaim the wealth of these merchants-turned-aristocrats. Though this Greek Orthodox family of foreign proteges often adopted the style and manners of French and other European elite, the Arabic inscriptions indicate deep traces of an Ottoman alliance stretching back centuries.[2]
Sursock House and Rue Sursock, Beirut
Nicolas Sursock villa in Beirut (museum)
The museum is currently undergoing an extensive US$12 million renovation led by French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte and Lebanese architect Jacques Aboukhaled.[34]Beirut Hippodrome and casinos
In 1918, the Sursock family financed the building of the Beirut Hippodrome.[35] Alfred Sursock, who funded the endeavor, agreed to a deal with the city of Beirut regarding the development of 600,000 square meters in Beirut's pine forest. The Hippodrome project was to include a public causeway, a movie theater and a casino in addition to the hippodrome itself. The hippodrome complex was ultimately built in 1921, with the casino eventually becoming the seat of the French Mandate Authorities in Lebanon.[35][36] The Sursocks had also previously built Lebanon's first casino, the Sawfar Grand Hotel, in the late 1880s.[37]
Jezreel Valley Railway
In 1882, a consortium headed by the Sursock family won an Ottoman concession for the construction of a
Notable members
Michel Sursock was a high-ranking member of Ottoman parliament and a senior dragoman to the Persian Empire, having been granted the title "Senator of the Empire."[39] Similarly, Moussa, Michel-Ibrahim and Yusuf Sursock all served as members of Ottoman parliament for a number of years, beginning in 1912.[39]
Girgi Dimitri Sursock (1852-1913), married Marie Assad Zahar and was
George Moussa Sursock had developed close ties with a wide variety of rulers and members of Europe's monarchy, from Franz Joseph of Austria to William of Germany and Louis Prince of Battenberg. Moussa was also involved in Freemasonry, as is evidenced in archives and letters addressed to the Grand Orient in Paris, dated April 1906, as well as in other sources such as "Les Grandes Families."[41]
Alfred Bey Sursock married
Catherine Aleya Beriketti Sursock, who was born in
Alexandre Sursock, son of Cyril Sursock, married Princess Mom Rajawongse Charuvan Rangsit of Thailand (by Mom Nalini) on 9 September 1978.[46]
Michail (Michael) Sursock is a leading figure in Asia's Private Equity and financial sphere, where he continues to serve as an adviser to numerous companies, having built his name as a leader of several multinational businesses across Europe, America and Asia. Michail has spent time as CEO of KKR Capstone for Asia Pacific, as a Managing Director at Motorola Inc, and as a President with Mars across three continents.[47] Additionally Mr. Sursock is an Advisor and Speaker at the Tuck School of Leadership Dartmouth and a member of its Asia Advisory Board. He is also a member of the Marshall Goldsmith Leadership 100.
Robert Sursock, over many decades, established himself as a premier banker in Paris and beyond, having built and grown such institutions as PrimeCorp Finance, Gazprombank Invest Mena and Banque Arabe et Internationale d'Investissement.[48]
Cairo's most famous restaurant entrepreneur, Nicha Sursock, the co-owner of world-renowned restaurant and bar "L'aubergine", is also a member of the prominent Greek Orthodox family,[49] while Cici Tommaseo Sursock was a renowned artist having hosted exhibitions throughout the world, including in Lausanne, Beirut, Cairo, New York, Rome.[50]
Isabelle Hélène Sursock fell in love with and wed Prince
The "alternate queen," as she was known in Italy's elite circles, never abandoned her palace (Palazzo Colonna), which she so profoundly loved, and continued to weave her diplomatic skills at the highest level,[54] receiving heads of state and royalty from half the world. Isabelle dedicated her life to preserving the uppermost interests and image of the family.[citation needed]
Sursock Archives
The halls of the Sursock Palace contain the historical archives of the Sursock family empire. The archives, which are divided into three categories (public, private, and commercial-accounting), primarily span from the years 1876 to 1978 and record the activities of Alfred, Moussa, Nicolas, Princess Isabelle, Lady Cochrane and other particularly prominent members of this small Greek-Orthodox family.[39][55]
An extensive study on the archives and the family itself can be found in Lorenzo Trombetta's 'The Private Archive of the Sursocks (Sursuqs), A Beirut Family of Christian Notables: An Early Investigation.'
Land sales to early Zionist settlement
The family owned more than 90,000 acres, or 400,000 dunams, (364 km2) in the Jezreel Valley in Palestine, having purchased it from Ottoman authorities in their dealings with the empire.[56][57] Evidence of the remarkable concentration of wealth accumulated by the Sursocks, who already owned tens of thousands of acres of the finest land in the region, can be found in records detailing their sustained purchases of numerous new villages every year.[58]
In 1872, the Ottoman Government sold Marj ibn Amir (
In ancient times Esdraelon was the granary, and regarded as the most fertile tract of Palestine. The Sursocks were absentee landlords in the vast Marj Ibn `Amer (Jezreel Valley) in Northern Palestine. The Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 by funding from the Baron to buy and develop land in Ottoman Palestine for Jewish settlement.
References
- ^ Trombetta (Ph.D.), Lorenzo (2009-01-01). "The Private Archive of the Sursuqs, a Beirut Family of Christian Notables: An Early Investigation". Rivista Degli Studi Orientali.
- ^ a b "Ghosts of Lebanon's Past". Stambouline.com. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
- ^ a b c d Trombetta (2009), p. 224
- ^ "Sursock House". Sursock.
- ^ a b c d "Moussa Sursock". Flickr. 2010-05-07. Retrieved 2015-11-11 – via Dr. Fouad Gehad Marei, Flickr blog.
- ^ a b "Heirs of Europe". heirsofeurope.blogspot.com. heirsofeurope. 2010-05-18. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
- ^ a b "Merchants and migrants in nineteenth-century Beirut". cosmos.ucc.ie. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
- ^ "The Eternal Magic of Beirut". The New York Times. May 2, 2016.
- ^ a b "Sursuq Family". encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
- ^ "Ghosts of Lebanese Summers Past". stambouline.com.
- ^ OCLC 875757770. Search for "Sursuq".
- ^ a b "Sursock: Ashrafieh's prettiest palace". blog.samabeirut.com. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
- ^ a b Gratien, Christopher (July 29, 2015). Ecology and Settlement in Late Ottoman and Early Republican Cilicia, 1856–1956.
- ^ "Khalil Sursock". 2010-05-07. Retrieved 2015-11-11 – via Dr. Fouad Gehad Marei, Flickr blog.
- ^ "Rose George". www.rosegeorge.com. Archived from the original on 2002-11-05.
- ^ "What happened in village of Afouleh (Palestine) in 1920?". adonis49.wordpress.com.
- ^ "Hani Jean Samaha". How a new publishing house in Beirut is opening doors to a hidden world. 2011-01-02.
- ^ Sommer, Dorothe. Freemasonry in the Ottoman Empire: A History of the Fraternity and Its Influence in Syria and the Levant.
- ^ a b Spagnolo (ed.). Problems of the Middle East in Historical Perspective. p. 249.
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- ^ "Alberto Theodoli". cosmos.ucc.ie. Retrieved 2015-12-15.
- ^ "Mathildhe Sursock". geneall.net. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
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- ^ (in French) Gemmayzeh : is the quarter becoming 'less and less convivial'?
- ^ Taylor, Stephanie d'Arc (2015-10-07). "'The place to see and be seen': Beirut's legendary museum rises from the ashes". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
- ^ Guides.hotelbook.com, Events Guide: Sursock Museum (Sursock Museum, Beirut, Lebanon)
- ^ Daratalfunun.org Archived 2007-04-23 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Sursock Museum". lonelyplanet.com.
- ^ a b Mannheim, Ivan, Syria & Lebanon Handbook: The Travel Guide, page 409
- ^ Gebran, Yacoub. "Hippodrome". Dictionnaire de l'architecture au Liban au XXème siècle. Alphamedia. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
- ^ "AFTERNOONS WITH THE SURSOCKS: SAWFAR & BEIRUT". bambisoapbox.com. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- ^ Land of Progress: Palestine in the Age of Colonial Development, 1905-1948, Jacob Norris
- ^ a b c Trombetta (2009), p. 205
- ^ Saïd Chaaya, Lettres de Girgi Dimitri Sursock à Martin Hartmann: La diplomatie allemande dans la Beyrouth ottomane, Paris, Geuthner, 2018.
- ^ The Private Archive of the Sursuqs, a Beirut Family of Christian Notables: An Early Investigation. p. 224.
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- ^ "RANGSIT ROYAL FAMILY". members.iinet.net.au. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
- ^ "Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, U.N. Commissioner, and Mrs. Sursock Married". The New York Times. 28 November 1972. p. 56. Retrieved 13 October 2010. (subscription required)
- ^ "Thailand - Rangsit". members.iinet.net.au.
- ^ "Bloomberg". Bloomberg News.
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- ^ El Amrani, Issandr (2004-02-27). "Lebanese Played a Crucial Role in Shaping Modern Egyptian Culture". The Daily Star.
- ^ Sursock, Cici. "cici sursock biography". cicisursock.com.
- ^ "Princess Isabelle Apartment". galleriacolonna.it.
- ISBN 978-1-60952-097-7.
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- ^ "Soroptimists in Rome Visit the Apartment of Isabelle Colonna". Soroptimist International. 2012-10-05. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- ^ d'Arc Taylor, Stephanie. "Beirut's legendary museum rises from the ashes". Guardian. The Guardian. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
- ^ Dr. Seth J. Frantzman, Ruth Kark Bedouin Settlement in Late Ottoman and British Mandatory Palestine: Influence on the Cultural and Environmental Landscape, 1870-1948, p.8. 2011
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- ^ Glass, Joseph. From New Zion to Old Zion. American Jewish Immigration and Settlement in Palestine, 1917-1939. Wayne State University Press.
- ^ "H.B. Bustros and Sursock-Cochrane Mausoleum, Mar Mitr Cemetery". 7 May 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2021 – via Dr. Fouad Gehad Marei, Flickr blog.
- better source needed]
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Bibliography
- Trombetta, Lorenzo (2009). "The Private Archive of the Sursuqs, a Beirut Family of Christian Notables: An Early Investigation". Rivista degli studi orientali, Nuova Serie. 82, Fasc. 1/4 (1/4): 197–228. JSTOR 41913265. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
External links
- List of villages sold by Sursocks and their partners to the Zionists since British occupation of Palestine, evidence to the Shaw Commission, 1930
- Images of the Sursock museum following the August 2020 Beirut explosion., from The Guardian newspaper.
- Media related to Sursock family at Wikimedia Commons