The Greek authorities do not allow Turkish institutions concerned with the restoration of Ottoman architectural monuments in Greece, deliberately neglecting them and leaving them to face their fate, said Nawal Gonuk Halajoglu, academic at the University of Marmara.
She added to the Anatolian correspondent that Greece includes Ottoman historical monuments dating back to about 400-500 years, and that the Greek authorities do not allow Turkish institutions to carry out the restoration work necessary to protect these architectural monuments, which have historical and cultural value.
She noted that countries such as Greece and Bulgaria are rich in the features of Ottoman civilization, and historical pieces that reflect the artistic values that prevailed in that era.
Greece continued to emerge from Ottoman sovereignty in 1912, and saw the construction of important historical landmarks under the Ottoman Empire, most notably the Serail government and military hospital, post offices, courts, clock towers, Turkish baths, water and schools. The island of Rhodes (Greece) alone has more Ottoman monuments even than the Turkish city of Antalya (south).
Islamic monuments
The Academy stated that the Ottoman Empire ruled the Balkans for 600 years, and that the best examples of early Ottoman architecture were built in Greece, Western Thrace and parts of Bulgaria.
"These unique models and works do not exist in Edirne (northwestern Turkey) or even in Bursa (western Turkey)." But these monuments still exist in Greece and embody the artistic values of Ottoman architecture. Greece did not register these historical monuments as Ottoman architecture, in order to prevent Turkey from restoring them and leaving those unique artistic values to face its fate.
Kingdom of Greece
Halagoglu pointed out that Greece is considered 1831 year of independence from the Ottoman Empire, where the Greek Kingdom was established on a part of the territory of present Greece with the support of the Russian Empire, Britain, the Kingdom of France and many other European countries, so the Ottoman buildings built after this year are not classified buildings Historical.
However, different areas of Greece witnessed the construction of important historic buildings until 1912, especially the islands of Rhodes and Kos (in the Aegean Sea) where the Ottoman monuments built in Greece after 1831 include an important collection of schools, offices, government offices, Thessaloniki train station and buildings General Ottoman, the Greek government does not consider all these buildings referred to as historic buildings worthy of restoration.
The founding of the Kingdom of Greece was regarded as the establishment of the first Greek state since the fall of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-15th century, but it was short-lived and became the first Hellenic Republic until 1924. The monarchy was abolished and the second Greek Republic was established after the defeat of Greece in the "Asia Minor campaign" with Turkey. The latter until the monarchy returned with a military coup in 1935 and continue until 1973 before it became a third and current republic after a popular referendum.
20 thousand archaeological buildings
Halagoglu explained that Greece includes about twenty thousand Ottoman archaeological buildings, and that many of these buildings require immediate intervention to restore them, pointing out that the official Greek statistics issued in 2006 counted the presence of eight thousand and 731 historic Ottoman buildings in Greece, but research conducted on the Ottoman monuments there Indicate that there are about twenty thousand buildings.
She continued, for example, wandering through the alleys of the Greek city of Thessaloniki, an alley, and managed to record only 36 Ottoman waterways in the area around the house where the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (considered Turkish territory) was born and also found the Zehni Pasha Mosque, which is left From his minaret, he was converted into a house inhabited by a Greek family, in addition to the mosque Dimitoka Chalabi Mohammed Pasha, who was devoured by fire and is now left to face his fate, as well as a group of Tkaya schools and buildings dating back to the 14th century.
| Halagoglu indicated that the Greek government does not pay attention to Ottoman historical buildings (Anatolia) |
Alternative uses
Halagoglu pointed out that the Greek government does not pay attention to the Ottoman historical buildings, and that some of them are being used inappropriately, how many of the mosque used a kindergarten, and how many bath used a disco lounge, and these mosques were painted different colors distort the Ottoman Turkish architecture.
She added: Khalil Pasha Mosque in the city of Goula (north-eastern Greece) is used today kindergarten. In Rhodes, the Ali Pasha Mosque was painted red, and all the domes in the historic Medley Island bath were painted in different colors. If in Turkey we did the same for Roman or Greek archaeological buildings, there would have been a rebellion in Europe.
She pointed out that Turkey has seen the opening of dozens of churches in recent years, noting that Greece does not give its Muslim citizens tolerance received by Christians in Turkey.
She concluded: Muslims in Greece, especially in Thessaloniki and Athens are forced to pray in their homes or shops because of the lack of mosques, while Turkey has witnessed in the past 16 years the opening of 84 Orthodox Greek churches.