Phanariot

  1. Noun.  An inhabitant of Phanar, an area in Byzantine and Ottoman Constantinople.
  2. Noun.  A class of moneyed ethnically Greek merchants, who claimed Byzantine descent, and who exercised influence in the administration in the Ottoman Empire.
  3. Adjective.  Used to describe such a person.

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This entry was last updated on RefTopia from its source on 3/20/2012.