From Zaviye to Mosque: Aspects of the Social Evolution in the Early Ottoman Balkans in Late Fourteenth-Century Gümülcine/Komotini

Abstract:This article is about the city of Komotini (Ottoman Gümülcine, in Northern Greece) during the last quarter of the fourteenth century, in the context of newly established Ottoman institutions and social hierarchies of the time. Through the urban change and historical architecture in Komotini, we can trace the transition of almost every city in the region of Thrace, from the rule of the semi-independent warlords of the fourteenth century to that of the Ottoman sultans. The former is characterized by the development of local craft oriented social patterns, while the latter shows considerable social and institutional evolution. This is reflected in the urban space of Komotini, in the form of typical early Ottoman architecture. The general overview of the political, social, and military developments of the time helps us to understand the complex story of a city which has the oldest standing Ottoman monument in the Balkans.