Archaeology of the Ottoman Period (15th-19th centuries) and Museum Management, Sofia, Bulgaria

• 1. Introduction
  • 1.1 The Buyuk Mosque
  • 1.2 The Black Mosque
  • 1.3 The Banya Bashi Mosque
• 2. Co-existing Approaches
  • 2.1 National History Museum (NHM)
  • 2.2 National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (NAIM-BAS)

Figure 1: Ottoman brigands - Kirdzhalis. An engraving by Felix Kanitz. dated to the second half of the 19th century (Photo archive: NAIM-BAS)

Figure 2: Devshirme (a 'child levy' or 'blood tax'): an Ottoman practice of forcibly recruiting soldiers and administrators among the children of the Balkan Christian subjects. Engraving by Felix Kanitz dated to the second half of the 19th century (Photo archive: NAIM-BAS)

Figure 3: Pomaks: Bulgarian-speaking Muslims, descendants of native Orthodox Bulgarians who had converted to Islam dated to the second half of the 19th century (Photo archive: NAIM-BAS)

Figure 4: The trade street in the Sofia centre dated to the second half of the 19th century (Photo archive: NAIM-BAS)

Figure 5: The demolition of the Keremetian Mosque dated to the second half of the 19th century (Photo archive: NAIM-BAS)

Figure 6: The demolition of the Chohadzhiev caravanserai dated to the second half of the 19th century(Photo archive: NAIM-BAS)

Figure 7: The Nuri Pasha House, demolished after 1877-1878 (Photo archive: NAIM-BAS)

Figure 8: The Buyuk Mosque dated to the second half of the 19th century (Photo archive: NAIM-BAS)

Figure 9: a. The Black Mosque dated to the second half of the 19th century and b. the present-day Orthodox church 'The Seven Apostles' (Photo archive: NAIM-BAS)

Figure 10: The Banya Bashi Mosque. a. Then (second half of the 19th century) and b. now (Photo archive: NAIM-BAS)

Figure 11: a. The prayer-wall (namazgah) in the 19th century and b. today. Lozenets District, Sofia (Photo archive: NAIM-BAS)

Figure 12: National History Museum. Hall no. 3. The Sacred Space of Religious Culture and Folk Art in the Bulgarian Lands, 15th-19th century. https://en.historymuseum.org/

Figure 13: Α cup shaped as a gourd. Silver gilt. Lom, Vidin Region. 16th century. https://en.historymuseum.org/

Figure 14: The Archaeological Museum at the Buyuk Mosque (Photo: K. Pramatarov)

Figure 15: NAIM-BAS. The gallery on the second floor and the permanent exhibition combining orthodox icons (16th-18th century) with Ottoman artefacts (Photo: K. Pramatarov)

Figure 16: An Ottoman parade helmet from the permanent exhibition. Bronze with gilt. Dupnitsa, Blagoevgrad Region. 16th century (Photo archive: NAIM-BAS)

Figure 17: A Muslim religious vessel from the permanent exhibition. Bronze with gilt. Unknown provenance. 16th-17th century (Photo archive: NAIM-BAS)

Figure 18: The Treasure of Nessebar. 16th century (Photo archive: NAIM-BAS)

Figure 19: The Treasure of Tsarevo. 16th century (Photo archive: NAIM-BAS)