Development of a vernacular settlement in the Balkans The Ottoman Kavala

Abstract

The town of Kavala in the present day Northern Greece is an example of Ottoman urban and residential developments. This paper covers the period of Kavala's development under the Ottoman rule between the years of 1391 and 1912. It focuses on the development of the Ottoman house and its characteristics presented through the examples of the houses built in the historical peninsula in the Ottoman era Kavala. The objective of the paper is to analyze the houses built in Ottoman Kavala, which still exist in the old historic peninsula. They have typical Ottoman floor plans amalgamated with local influences but can still be placed among the several typical architectural types of Ottoman house when analyzing their floor plans. The paper derives conclusions concerning the characteristics, origins and influences on the development of the Ottoman house in the provinces outside the capital of the Ottoman Empire. © 2022 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.