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Prince Stefan Bogoridi (born Стойко Цонков Стойков, Stoyko Tsonkov Stoykov; Bulgarian: княз Стефан Богориди; Greek: Στέφανος Βογορίδης; Turkish: Stefanaki Bey; Romanian: Ştefan Vogoride) (1775 or 1780, Kotel - August 1st 1859, Istanbul) was a high ranking Ottoman statesman of Bulgarian origin, grandson of Sofronius of Vratsa and father of Alexander Bogoridi and Nikola Bogoridi. Stefan and his brother Alexander were named Bogoridi after Boris I, the first Christian ruler of Bulgaria who was known also as Bogoris. Bogoridi studied in the Greek Saint Sava College in Bucharest where he changed his Bulgarian name Stoyko for the Greek Stefan. After finishing his studies Stefan Bogoridi joined the Ottoman fleet as dragoman and under the command of Seid Mustafa Pasha (future sultan Mustafa IV) took part in the Second Battle of Abukir against Napoleon in Egypt and made a miraclulous escape after the defeat of the Ottoman forces. In 1812 Stefan Bogoridi went to Moldavia with prince Scarlat Callimachi who appointed him as governor of Galaţi (1812 - 1819). He was kaymakam of Wallachia (1821), of Moldavia (1822) and again dragoman of the Ottoman fleet. Between 1825 - 1828 he was exiled in Asia Minor. After the Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829 and the Treaty of Adrianople he was an advisor of Sultan Mahmud II who gave him the title of prince (bey, ηγεμόνας) and appointed him governor of the island of Samos. He visited Samos only once in 1839 and ruled the island from Istanbul. Bogoridi, who renamed the capital of the island Stefanopolis after himself, was hated by the local Greek population for his greed and dictatorial policies. The Samians revolved against him in 1849 and had the Sultan dismiss him in 1850. Under Sultan Abd-ul-Mejid I Stefan Bogoridi was a member of the Tanzimat Council and an imperial counsellor. His was the only Christian who after the fall of Constantinople in 1453 had welcomed an Ottoman sultan as a guest in his house. He obtained permission from Abd-ul-Mejid I for building a Bulgarian church in Istanbul and donated his house in Fanar (1849). There later was erected the famous Bulgarian iron chruch, named St Stephen after him.
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