Tracing the Ottoman Trade Network in North Greece

Abstract

This paper aims to present and draw a plan of action to promote the Ottoman trade network of Northern Greece. This network had been developed since the fifteenth century and it was a part of the broader system of communication, administra-tion, urban development and economical flow of the Ottoman Empire. The study focuses on the geographic region extending from Thrace to Central Macedonia, emphasizing its monuments and the urban centers that are important for this multidimensi-onal network. Most of these monuments are constructed on li-nes of the former Roman road the Via Egnatia, also known as the Sol Kol. These buildings of the Ottoman trade network are of a unified historical site that need for equal management beyond national or state identities. In the context of the inter-cul-tural dialogue promoted in the European framework, this historical site should be understood as a means for cultural exchange and unity for present-day Balkanic societies, for whom once formed the unified Ottoman Empire.