Physical transformation process of an ottoman city skopje from tanzimat decree to 20th century

Abstract

Conquered by the Ottomans in the 14th century, Skopje has always maintained its importance for the Ottoman Empire thanks to its strategic location in the Balkans. Before the Ottoman Empire, Skopje, a small city within the castle, showed a great improvement after Ottoman conquest with the building complexes (imarets) built in the east-west direction beside the castle and the housing units (neighborhoods) developing around these complexes. Although there was an intensive construction activity in Skopje in 15th and 16th centuries, 17th and 18th centuries were stagnation periods for architectural development of the city.19th century is a period in which radical changes occurred depending the acceptance of the Tanzimat Decree and the Westernization movements in the Ottoman Empire. These radical changes in the Ottoman Empire have been reflected to urban space and buildings of Skopje (depending on the importance given by the 11. Abdillhamid to the city).The purpose of this study is to examine physical changes in Skopje, one of the Ottoman cities where the city administration organizations started to establish after the Tanzimat Decree, from the mid 19th century until the beginning of the 20th century in the light of recent political, social and economic developments of the Ottoman Empire in that period.In the first part of the study changing process and Westernization of Ottoman Empire in the 19th century is elaborated represented. Moreover, in order to be able to comprehend more clearly the physical change that Skopje experienced during the 19th century and the general situation of Skopje before the Modernization is given over the map; thereafter spatial changes that took place depending on political, social and economic reasons is put forward. Finally spatial changes after the Tanzimat Decree are shown and interpreted over the 1914 Map of Skopje.