Journal of Modern Greek Studies

Abstract:

The Fethiye Cami, Hamko's Mansion, and the Ottoman market are three different Ottoman heritage sites in Konitsa (Northwest Greece), situated near the Greek-Albanian border. Although all three sites are safeguarded by law, they oscillate to different extents between the status of unwanted ruins, protected monuments, and potential resources for economic development through tourism. Twentieth-century history (the Lausanne Treaty and the critical role of Konitsa in the Greek Civil War), contemporary politics (the rise of nationalism and irredentist discourses), and the growing touristic value (the Vikos-Aoos UNESCO Global Geopark) have affected these three sites to various degrees. Within the small border town, the sites differ in terms of their original function, states of preservation, and local attitudes toward them. Taken together, they serve to illustrate the forces impacting Ottoman ruins, and their composite relationship with dominant political ideologies, local communities, and financial crises.