The Ottoman Era Town House in Ohrid, Macedonia: An analysis of typology and construction

Abstract

Different factors conditioned the formation and the development of the Ottoman era towns especially in the Balkans. Pre-existing settlements, prevailing dynastic evolutions and changes as well as terms of their subjugation to new power were just some of these factors. Almost everywhere in their long forming, the urban settlements around the Mediterranean were marked with their multiethnic aspects and acted and lived together. The town of Ohrid was part of the vast Ottoman Empire, positioned in the lands of the Ottoman territory of Rumelia for almost five centuries. The town had a long urban history rooted deep down in the ancient times where sometimes the traces of the previous eras were 'covered' with the Ottoman presence, evident especially in the domestic and vernacular architecture. This article offers an insight into the Ottoman era patterns appearing in the town of Ohrid as an astonishing example of the Ottoman era vernacular house in the Balkans. © 2022 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.