DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.24719#0148
118
THESSALONICA.
THESS ALONICA UNDER THE TURKS.
The death of Sultan Bajazet Ildirim gave tranquillity to Macedonia; but after the reign
of Amurath II. the Turks had resumed the offensive, and compelled the princes of Hungary
and Servia to sue for peace. Amurath did not forget that Thessalonica had already been in
the power of Mahometans. He looked upon the town as belonging to bis empire. But the
treaties he had signed with the Christian powers prevented him from taking possession of it.
But having learned that the inhabitants of Thessalonica, finding that the Byzantine government
did not afford them sufficient protection, had deposed the despot who governed them in the
name of the emperor, and were inclined to sell their town to the Venetians, the most active
enemies of the Mussulmans, he summoned from Asia, Hamsa Bey, his best general, and ordered
him to invest the town.
Amurath himself left Adrianople and entered Macedonia. Upon his arrival in the
neighbourhood of Thessalonica, he demanded the surrender of the town, engaging to allow
the inhabitants their liberty, and to spare the public buildings; but the Venetians, who reigned
supreme there, rejected all idea of capitulation. Upon this Amurath ordered the assault,
proclaiming to his soldiers, that the inhabitants and their goods should be their prey. The Greeks,
although they were disposed to surrender, were overruled by the Venetians, and a desperate
resistance was resolved upon.
On the 26th Eebruary, 1430, an earthquake terrified the inhabitants and made them believe
that they were already in the hands of the enemy. The general assault took place a few days
afterwards, on May 1st. The Turks approached the town on the side nearest the sea,
and directed their attack against the east wall, which seemed to be the weakest. All attempts
at resistance were overcome. The. Turks had undermined the walls in some places, and
having scaled them in others, entered the town, and commenced the work of carnage and
destruction. All the inhabitants who escaped the sword were made slaves; the palace and
other public buildings were burnt.
The church and tomb of St. Demetrius presented a rich booty to the captors, as the rich
amongst the inhabitants had placed their treasures under the protection of the patron of the
town. The body of the saint was taken out of the tomh and hacked in pieces. The Turks
tried to discover the source from whence the miraculous oil flowed, but were unable to find
it; they took the oil away, as it cured many diseases.1
The church was, however, spared; it had before been converted into a mosque by Bajazet;
Amurath II. re-established it as such. But the silver ciborivm, the iconostasis, enriched with
precious stones, and all the treasures accumulated in the edifice, became the prey of the Turks.
The relics of the saint were collected by pious hands, and having been placed in a shrine, the
miracle of the oil was renewed.
Amurath retired to his camp during the massacre, and endeavoured to save some of the
unhappy people. He allowed the prisoners to ransom themselves, and restored to them those
houses which had not been destroyed; but he converted the church of the Holy Mother of
God, which was a basilica much venerated in the town, into a mosque. He went there to say
his Eriday prayer, and had an inscription, which still remains, placed on the foot of the minaret.
This church received the name of Eski Djouma (ancient assembly),1 2 because the Mussulmans
held their first assemblies in it.
After a short time the Mahometan residents claimed the other Greek churches for their
worship; St. Sophia and the round church of St. George were turned into mosques ; the smaller
churches only were left in the hands of Christians, Out of a certain regard for the brave defence
of Thessalonica, the Turks did not efface the religious subjects in mosaic which adorned the
domes, but many celebrated buildings were demolished for the construction of baths; the cloisters
were transformed into caravanserais.
1 Von Hammer, Ilistoire de l' Empire ottoman, book x. the day of assembly in the mosque, as Sunday is called Bazar-
2 Some travellers translate thus, Ancient Friday ; but the gun, because it is the day on which markets are held. — L’Art
word Djouma or Djemda, which is Arabic, means brotherhood, de verifier les Dates, tom. i., fol., 1783, p. 21.
or assembly. The same name is given to Friday, because it is
THESSALONICA.
THESS ALONICA UNDER THE TURKS.
The death of Sultan Bajazet Ildirim gave tranquillity to Macedonia; but after the reign
of Amurath II. the Turks had resumed the offensive, and compelled the princes of Hungary
and Servia to sue for peace. Amurath did not forget that Thessalonica had already been in
the power of Mahometans. He looked upon the town as belonging to bis empire. But the
treaties he had signed with the Christian powers prevented him from taking possession of it.
But having learned that the inhabitants of Thessalonica, finding that the Byzantine government
did not afford them sufficient protection, had deposed the despot who governed them in the
name of the emperor, and were inclined to sell their town to the Venetians, the most active
enemies of the Mussulmans, he summoned from Asia, Hamsa Bey, his best general, and ordered
him to invest the town.
Amurath himself left Adrianople and entered Macedonia. Upon his arrival in the
neighbourhood of Thessalonica, he demanded the surrender of the town, engaging to allow
the inhabitants their liberty, and to spare the public buildings; but the Venetians, who reigned
supreme there, rejected all idea of capitulation. Upon this Amurath ordered the assault,
proclaiming to his soldiers, that the inhabitants and their goods should be their prey. The Greeks,
although they were disposed to surrender, were overruled by the Venetians, and a desperate
resistance was resolved upon.
On the 26th Eebruary, 1430, an earthquake terrified the inhabitants and made them believe
that they were already in the hands of the enemy. The general assault took place a few days
afterwards, on May 1st. The Turks approached the town on the side nearest the sea,
and directed their attack against the east wall, which seemed to be the weakest. All attempts
at resistance were overcome. The. Turks had undermined the walls in some places, and
having scaled them in others, entered the town, and commenced the work of carnage and
destruction. All the inhabitants who escaped the sword were made slaves; the palace and
other public buildings were burnt.
The church and tomb of St. Demetrius presented a rich booty to the captors, as the rich
amongst the inhabitants had placed their treasures under the protection of the patron of the
town. The body of the saint was taken out of the tomh and hacked in pieces. The Turks
tried to discover the source from whence the miraculous oil flowed, but were unable to find
it; they took the oil away, as it cured many diseases.1
The church was, however, spared; it had before been converted into a mosque by Bajazet;
Amurath II. re-established it as such. But the silver ciborivm, the iconostasis, enriched with
precious stones, and all the treasures accumulated in the edifice, became the prey of the Turks.
The relics of the saint were collected by pious hands, and having been placed in a shrine, the
miracle of the oil was renewed.
Amurath retired to his camp during the massacre, and endeavoured to save some of the
unhappy people. He allowed the prisoners to ransom themselves, and restored to them those
houses which had not been destroyed; but he converted the church of the Holy Mother of
God, which was a basilica much venerated in the town, into a mosque. He went there to say
his Eriday prayer, and had an inscription, which still remains, placed on the foot of the minaret.
This church received the name of Eski Djouma (ancient assembly),1 2 because the Mussulmans
held their first assemblies in it.
After a short time the Mahometan residents claimed the other Greek churches for their
worship; St. Sophia and the round church of St. George were turned into mosques ; the smaller
churches only were left in the hands of Christians, Out of a certain regard for the brave defence
of Thessalonica, the Turks did not efface the religious subjects in mosaic which adorned the
domes, but many celebrated buildings were demolished for the construction of baths; the cloisters
were transformed into caravanserais.
1 Von Hammer, Ilistoire de l' Empire ottoman, book x. the day of assembly in the mosque, as Sunday is called Bazar-
2 Some travellers translate thus, Ancient Friday ; but the gun, because it is the day on which markets are held. — L’Art
word Djouma or Djemda, which is Arabic, means brotherhood, de verifier les Dates, tom. i., fol., 1783, p. 21.
or assembly. The same name is given to Friday, because it is