25 thousand Ottoman paperwork that can rewrite historical past: Found in Greece

Researchers have discovered paperwork together with the world’s oldest manuscripts from the Ottoman interval within the Pantokrator Monastery in Greece.

Deep within the medieval fortified monastery of the Orthodox Christian neighborhood at Atnoroz, researchers have for the primary time uncovered an virtually unknown treasure. This treasure was reported to be 1000’s of manuscripts from the Ottoman interval, together with the world’s oldest manuscripts.

The libraries of the self-governing neighborhood based greater than a thousand years in the past on the Aynoros peninsula of northern Greece; It acts as a repository of uncommon centuries-old artifacts in varied languages, together with Greek, Russian and Romanian.

Regardless of intensive research on lots of the works within the library, complete research on Ottoman paperwork belonging to the Ottoman paperwork that dominated northern Greece from the late 14th century to the early twentieth century haven’t been carried out till now.

25 thousand paperwork

Byzantine knowledgeable from the Free College of Berlin Jannis Niehoff-Panagiotidissays that it’s not possible to know the economic system and society of Aynoroz beneath Ottoman rule with out referring to those paperwork that regulate the monks’ relations with the Ottoman authorities.

Talking within the library of the Pantokrator Monastery, one of many 20 monasteries on the peninsula surrounded by dense forests, Panagiotidis defined the rationale for this example, “Ottoman was the official language of the state” he explains.

Professor Niehoff-Panagiotidis stated that the oldest of about 25 thousand Ottoman works within the monastic libraries belong to 1371 or 1374 AD. Stating that this date is older than all identified dates on the planet, Panagiotidis added that even in Istanbul, the oldest archives date again to the top of the fifteenth century.

Sheds gentle on the primary interval of the Ottoman Empire

“The primary paperwork that make clear (the primary interval of Ottoman historical past) are hidden right here on Mount Athos” stated Panagiotidis, noting that the rarest paperwork are stored in giant picket drawers. Amongst these manuscripts are extremely embellished sultan’s edicts, property payments and court docket selections.

Lawyer and scientific collaborator from the Free College of Berlin Anastasios Nikopoulos, “The overwhelming majority of paperwork are authorized paperwork” stated.

Protected the indigenous folks

The manuscripts inform a narrative that contradicts the normal understanding of Ottoman destruction in newly conquered areas in Greece, by the confiscation of the rich actual property properties of the Athanoz monasteries. In line with the paperwork, the brand new rulers took the residents beneath their wing, permitting them to keep up their autonomy and shielding them from exterior interference.

Nikopoulos, “The edicts of the sultans we see within the tower … and the court docket selections of the Ottoman state present that the small democracy of the monks was capable of win the respect of all of the conquering powers. As a result of Aynoroz was seen as a cradle of peace and tradition, the place peoples and civilizations lived collectively in peace.” stated.

Nikopoulos, Ottoman ruler who conquered Thessaloniki, the closest metropolis to Atyrros II. MuradSaying that one of many first acts of . “This tells so much. The Ottoman sultan himself ensured that the executive system of Aynaroz was preserved and preserved” used the phrases.

He made no effort to impose Islam

Professor Niehoff-Panagiotidis added that even earlier than that, after a gaggle of marauding troopers made a petty theft from one of many monasteries, the sultan had issued an edict that stipulated strict punishments for them.

“It’s unusual that the sultans stored Aynoroz, the final remnant of Byzantium, semi-independent and didn’t contact it” stated Panagiotidis, “They did not even have troopers right here. At most, they most likely would have had an area consultant staying (in Karyes, the congregation’s administrative headquarters) and sipping tea.” he reported.

One other surprising discovery, in keeping with Professor Niehoff-Panagiotidis, is that for practically the primary two centuries of Ottoman rule, no effort was made to impose Islamic regulation on Athos or close by areas of northern Greece.

Photograph: AP