DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.24719#0149
MODERN WRITERS ON THESSALONICA.
119
THESSALONICA APTER MODERN WRITERS.
The oldest description of Thessalonica extant is that of Hadji Haifa, a Turkish traveller of
the I7tli century. He estimates justly its advantages of situation. Erom his time to ours it has
constantly increased in prosperity. He says : —
“ Saloniki is situated at the head of a gulf which extends about a hundred miles from
north to south; the walls of the town have a circuit of three miles, and have five gates; viz.,
the Harbour gate, Yardar gate, Tower gate, Kelemdjze gate, and New gate. Its distance from
Constantinople is two hundred and eighty-seven and a half miles. The longest day there lasts
fifteen hours and a minute, the shortest eight hours and fourteen minutes. Bajazet Ildirim
took the town in the year 796 of the Hegira; hut it fell again into the hands of the infidels
until Sultan Amurath II. retook it in the year 801. The citadel is situated on the slope of a
hill. The longest part of the wall is that bordering the sea on the west, where is the Harbour
gate.
“ Near this spot is a spacious harbour, in which three hundred ships could anchor in safety.
“ The first judge (cadi) of Saloniki was Arabzade Abdornuh Effendi, who constructed a
mosque.
“ On leaving the south-west angle, and ascending towards the mountain, we find a well-
fortified castle.
“ The caravanserais, the inhabited districts, and the mosques, are all within the walls;
outside there are gardens only. The stream that supplies the town with water comes from a
mountain called Hortash, half a day’s journey distant, to the north-west of Saloniki. Upon its
summit are several lakes, which are frozen in winter, and supply the town with ice. There is
there a Christian village called Hortash. There is also another stream called Yeni-Sou
(new water).
“ Near the Yardar and Kelemdjze gates there are two large towers; the first called the
Yardar Tower, the second the Kelemdjze Tower.
tc The town possesses ten principal and some smaller mosques, and nine baths. The most
celebrated mosques are: 1st, the Kassimye, an ancient church turned into a mosque in 831 (of
the Hegira); 2nd, the Old Mosque; 3rd, the mosque of Aghia Sofia, near which Ibrahim
Pasha has built a minaret; 4tli, the mosque of Kassim Pasha Djeseri; 5th, the mosque of
Yakoub Pasha; 6th, the mosque of the Serai, which, in the time of the Christians, -was the
Church of the Court; 7th, the mosque of Sinam Pasha, taken from the Christians in the year
1004 by Sinam Pasha. All these were originally churches. The newly-erected mosques are
those of—8th, Isak Pasha Pischimanji; 9th, TIamsa Bey; 10th, Acksed.
“ The town possesses fine streets and public buildings. Near the market-place called Londja,
where cloth is sold, there is a Bezestein and some caravanserais or khans. The most important
are the khans of Sulidji, Mustafa Pasha, and Milta-klian. Most of the houses belong to
Jews, who, having quitted the Christian states to assemble at Saloniki, let houses and magazines
for long periods. They manufacture chiefly carpets of various colours, which are very celebrated
and quite unequalled, and also excellent cloth.
“ One of the great curiosities of Saloniki is the Jewish school called Hora, which contains
a large library of books on the upper story. More than two hundred scholars receive instruction
there, from the first rudiments up to history. The scholars vary in age from children of four
or five to men of between thirty and forty. Altogether there are a thousand of them ; according
to their grade, they study their sacred writings or logic. The Jews spend considerable sums
in good works and charitable establishments, and every year they distribute money and clothes
to poor children; then is there a veritable festival for the town.
“ Saloniki in many respects may he considered a quarter of Constantinople. It has pro-
duced many distinguished men.”
119
THESSALONICA APTER MODERN WRITERS.
The oldest description of Thessalonica extant is that of Hadji Haifa, a Turkish traveller of
the I7tli century. He estimates justly its advantages of situation. Erom his time to ours it has
constantly increased in prosperity. He says : —
“ Saloniki is situated at the head of a gulf which extends about a hundred miles from
north to south; the walls of the town have a circuit of three miles, and have five gates; viz.,
the Harbour gate, Yardar gate, Tower gate, Kelemdjze gate, and New gate. Its distance from
Constantinople is two hundred and eighty-seven and a half miles. The longest day there lasts
fifteen hours and a minute, the shortest eight hours and fourteen minutes. Bajazet Ildirim
took the town in the year 796 of the Hegira; hut it fell again into the hands of the infidels
until Sultan Amurath II. retook it in the year 801. The citadel is situated on the slope of a
hill. The longest part of the wall is that bordering the sea on the west, where is the Harbour
gate.
“ Near this spot is a spacious harbour, in which three hundred ships could anchor in safety.
“ The first judge (cadi) of Saloniki was Arabzade Abdornuh Effendi, who constructed a
mosque.
“ On leaving the south-west angle, and ascending towards the mountain, we find a well-
fortified castle.
“ The caravanserais, the inhabited districts, and the mosques, are all within the walls;
outside there are gardens only. The stream that supplies the town with water comes from a
mountain called Hortash, half a day’s journey distant, to the north-west of Saloniki. Upon its
summit are several lakes, which are frozen in winter, and supply the town with ice. There is
there a Christian village called Hortash. There is also another stream called Yeni-Sou
(new water).
“ Near the Yardar and Kelemdjze gates there are two large towers; the first called the
Yardar Tower, the second the Kelemdjze Tower.
tc The town possesses ten principal and some smaller mosques, and nine baths. The most
celebrated mosques are: 1st, the Kassimye, an ancient church turned into a mosque in 831 (of
the Hegira); 2nd, the Old Mosque; 3rd, the mosque of Aghia Sofia, near which Ibrahim
Pasha has built a minaret; 4tli, the mosque of Kassim Pasha Djeseri; 5th, the mosque of
Yakoub Pasha; 6th, the mosque of the Serai, which, in the time of the Christians, -was the
Church of the Court; 7th, the mosque of Sinam Pasha, taken from the Christians in the year
1004 by Sinam Pasha. All these were originally churches. The newly-erected mosques are
those of—8th, Isak Pasha Pischimanji; 9th, TIamsa Bey; 10th, Acksed.
“ The town possesses fine streets and public buildings. Near the market-place called Londja,
where cloth is sold, there is a Bezestein and some caravanserais or khans. The most important
are the khans of Sulidji, Mustafa Pasha, and Milta-klian. Most of the houses belong to
Jews, who, having quitted the Christian states to assemble at Saloniki, let houses and magazines
for long periods. They manufacture chiefly carpets of various colours, which are very celebrated
and quite unequalled, and also excellent cloth.
“ One of the great curiosities of Saloniki is the Jewish school called Hora, which contains
a large library of books on the upper story. More than two hundred scholars receive instruction
there, from the first rudiments up to history. The scholars vary in age from children of four
or five to men of between thirty and forty. Altogether there are a thousand of them ; according
to their grade, they study their sacred writings or logic. The Jews spend considerable sums
in good works and charitable establishments, and every year they distribute money and clothes
to poor children; then is there a veritable festival for the town.
“ Saloniki in many respects may he considered a quarter of Constantinople. It has pro-
duced many distinguished men.”