The Vilayet of Salonica ( ota, ولايت سلانيك, Vilâyet-i Selânik) was a first-level administrative division (

vilayet A vilayet ( ota, , "province"), also known by various other names, was a first-order administrative division of the later Ottoman Empire. It was introduced in the Vilayet Law of 21 January 1867, part of the Tanzimat reform movement initiated ...

) of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

from 1867 to 1912. In the late 19th century it reportedly had an area of .Europe
by Éliseé Reclus, page 152 The vilayet was bounded by the Principality (later Kingdom), of

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

on the north;

Eastern Rumelia Eastern Rumelia ( bg, Източна Румелия, Iztochna Rumeliya; ota, , Rumeli-i Şarkî; el, Ανατολική Ρωμυλία, Anatoliki Romylia) was an autonomous province (''oblast'' in Bulgarian, '' vilayet'' in Turkish) in the Ott ...

on the northeast (after the Treaty of Berlin);

Edirne Vilayet The Vilayet of Adrianople or Vilayet of Edirne ( ota, ولايت ادرنه; ''Vilâyet-i Edirne'') was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire. This vilayet was split between Turkey and Greece in 1923, culminating i ...

on the east; the

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans ...

on the south; Monastir Vilayet and the independent sanjak of Serfije on the west (after 1881); the Kosovo Vilayet on the northwest. The vilayet consisted of present Central and Eastern parts of

Greek Macedonia Macedonia (; el, Μακεδονία, Makedonía ) is a geographic and former administrative region of Greece, in the southern Balkans. Macedonia is the largest and Greek geographic region, with a population of 2.36 million in 2020. It is ...

and

Pirin Macedonia Pirin Macedonia or Bulgarian Macedonia ( bg, Пиринска Македония; Българска Македония) (''Pirinska Makedoniya or Bulgarska Makedoniya'') is the third-biggest part of the geographical region Macedonia located on t ...

. Present Pirin Macedonia part of it was administrated as

kaza A kaza (, , , plural: , , ; ota, قضا, script=Arab, (; meaning 'borough') * bg, околия (; meaning 'district'); also Кааза * el, υποδιοίκησις () or (, which means 'borough' or 'municipality'); also () * lad, kaza , ...

s of Cuma-yı Bala, Petriç, Nevrekop, Menlik, Ropçoz and Razlık. It was dissolved after Balkan Wars and divided among

Kingdom of Greece The Kingdom of Greece ( grc, label= Greek, Βασίλειον τῆς Ἑλλάδος ) was established in 1832 and was the successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. It was internationally recognised by the Treaty of Constantinople, wh ...

, Kingdom of Serbia and

Tsardom of Bulgaria The Tsardom of Bulgaria was the name of the Bulgarian state from Simeon's assumption of the title of Tsar in 913 until the Fatherland Front's foundation of the People's Republic of Bulgaria in 1946. It occurred in three distinct periods: b ...

in 1913.

Administrative divisions

Sanjaks of the Vilayet:Selanik Vilayeti , Tarih ve Medeniyet
/ref> # Sanjak of Selanik (

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...

, Kesendire, Karaferye, Vodina, Yenice-i Vardar, Langaza, Kılkış (It was also called Avrathisar),

Katrin Katrin is a feminine given name. It is a German and Swedish contracted form of Katherine. Katrin may refer to: Sports * Katrin Apel (born 1973), German biathlete * Katrin Beinroth (born 1981), German judoka *Katrin Borchert (born 1969), German- ...

, Aynaroz, Doyran, Usturumca, Tikveş, Gevgili) #

Sanjak of Siroz The Sanjak of Siroz or Serres ( Ottoman Turkish: ''Sancak-i/Liva-i Siroz''; el, λιβάς/σαντζάκι Σερρών, bg, Серски Санджак) was a second-level Ottoman province (''sanjak'' or '' liva'') encompassing the region aro ...

( Serez, Zihne, Demirhisar, Razlık, Cuma-yı Bala, Menlik, Nevrekop) #

Sanjak of Drama The Sanjak of Drama (Ottoman Turkish: ''Sancak-i/Liva-i Drama''; el, λιβάς/σαντζάκι Δράμας) was a second-level Ottoman province (''sanjak'' or '' liva'') encompassing the region around the town of Drama (now in Greece) in east ...

(

Drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

Kavala Kavala ( el, Καβάλα, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia and the capital of Kavala (regional unit), Kavala regional unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across ...

, Sarışaban, Taşoz (It was later promoted to sanjak), Pravişte, Dövlen) #Sanjak of Taşoz (It was initially part of Sanjak of Drama, its center was Vulgaro)

Demographics

According to the 1881/82-1893 Ottoman census the vilayet had a total population of 1.009.992 people, ethnically consisting as: *

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...

- 450.456 *

Greeks The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...

- 282.013 *

Bulgarians Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe. Etymology Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely unders ...

- 231.606 *

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

- 41.984 * Catholics - 2.654 * Protestants - 329 *

Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, '' hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diasp ...

- 48 *Foreign citizens - 1.272 Vilayet of Selanik (1881) Boundaries and Ethnic Makeup

According to the 1906/07 Ottoman census the vilayet had a total population of 921,359 people, ethnically consisting as: *Muslims - 419.604 *Orthodox Greeks - 263.881 *Orthodox Bulgarians - 155.710 *Jews - 52.395 *Wallachians (

Vlachs "Vlach" ( or ), also "Wallachian" (and many other variants), is a historical term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate mainly Romanians but also Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, Istro-Romanians and other E ...

) - 20.486 *

Gypsies The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...

- 4.736 *Catholic Greeks - 2.693 *Oriental Armenians - 637 *Protestants - 329 *Catholic Armenians - 58 * Latins - 31 * Syrians - 4 *Foreign citizens - 795 According to an estimate by

Aram Andonian Aram Andonian ( hy, Արամ Անտոնեան; 1875 – 23 December 1951) was an ethnic Armenian journalist, historian and writer. Biography Andonian was born in Constantinople. There he edited the Armenian journals ''Luys'' (''Light'') and ''D ...

in 1908 there was the following ethnic distribution in the vilayet:Defeat in Detail: The Ottoman Army in the Balkans, 1912-1913; Edward J. Erickson; Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003; p.41
/ref> *Orthodox Bulgarians - 446,050 *Muslim

- 333,440 *Orthodox Greeks - 168,500 *

Muslim Bulgarians The Bulgarian Muslims or Muslim Bulgarians ( bg, Българи-мохамедани, ''Bǎlgari-mohamedani'', as of recently also Българи-мюсюлмани, ''Bǎlgari-mjusjulmani'', locally called '' Pomak'', ''ahryan'', ''poganets'', ' ...

- 98,590 *Jews - 55,320 *Orthodox

- 24,970 *Muslim

- 22,200 *Mixed - 16,320

Governors

* Mehmet Akif Pasha (June 1867 - February 1869) * Mehmed Sabri Pasha (February 1869 - September 1871) * Kekimbashi Ismail Pasha (September 1871 - May 1872) *

Hurshid Pasha Hurshid Ahmed Pasha (sometimes written Khurshid Ahmad Pasha; tr, Hurşid Ahmed Paşa, ; died 30 November 1822) was an Ottoman- Georgian general, and Grand Vizier during the early 19th century. Early life He was born in the Caucasus and was of ...

(May 1872 - August 1872) * Kücük Ömer Fevzi Pasha (1st time) (August 1872 - May 1873) * Mehmet Akif Pasha (3rd time) (May 1873 - September 1873) *

Ahmed Midhat Sefik Pasha Ahmed Şefik Midhat Pasha ( ota , احمد شفيق مدحت پاشا, 18 October 1822 – 26 April 1883) was an Ottoman democrat, kingmaker and one of the leading statesmen during the late Tanzimat period. He is most famous for leading the Ott ...

(October 1873 - February 1874) * Kücük Ömer Fevzi Pasha (2nd time) (February 1874 - September 1875) * Baytar Mehmed Refet Pasha (December 1875 - June 1876) *

Mustafa Esref Pasha Mustafa ( ar, مصطفى , Muṣṭafā) is one of the names of Prophet Muhammad, and the name means "chosen, selected, appointed, preferred", used as an Arabic given name and surname. Mustafa is a common name in the Muslim world. Given name Mou ...

(June 1876 - April 1877) *

Cerkez Nusret Pasha Cerchez, Cherchez and Cerkez are Romanian words meaning "Circassians, Circassian". The Circassians were a prominent minority in Northern Dobruja during the 19th century. This region now belongs to Romania. Cerchez, and its variations, may refer to: ...

(June 1877 - December 1877) * Ibrahim Halil Pasha (December 1877 - July 1878) *

Halil Rifat Pasha Halil Rifat Pasha ( Modern Turkish: ''Halil Rıfat Paşa''; 1820According to the obituary in The Times, he was born about 1807. This would make him almost 95 years old at the time of his death. Other sources give 1820.–9 November 1901) was an ...

(July 1878 - March 1880) * Abidin Pasha (March 1880 - June 1880) * Lofçali Ibrahim Dervish Pasha (August 1880 - January 1882) *

Ismail Hakki Pasha Ishmael ''Ismaḗl''; Classical/Qur'anic Arabic: إِسْمَٰعِيْل; Modern Standard Arabic: إِسْمَاعِيْل ''ʾIsmāʿīl''; la, Ismael was the first son of Abraham, the common patriarch of the Abrahamic religions; and is cons ...

(March 1882 - September 1885) * Hasan Hakki Pasha (September 1885 - August 1886) * Abdullah Galib Pasha (August 1886 - August 1891) * Mustafa Zihni Pasha (October 1891 - November 1895) *

Hasan Fehmi Pasha Hasan Fehmi Pasha (1836–1910) was one of the leading Ottoman statesmen during the late Tanzimat period, who served in various governorships and juridical institutions. He was furthermore a member of the Senate, and a supporter of foreign inve ...

(1st time) (1895) *

Ramazanoglu Hüseyin Riza Pasha The Ramadanid Emirate ( Modern Turkish: ''Ramazanoğulları Beyliği'') was an autonomous administration and a ''de facto'' independent emirate that existed from 1352 to 1608 in Cilicia, taking over the rule of the region from the Armenian Kingd ...

(January 1896 - January 1899) * Haci Hasan Refik Pasha (January 1899 - May 1901) * Biren Mahmud Tevfik Beg (May 1901 - May 1902) *

(2nd time) (May 1902 - September 1904) * Mehmed Sherif Ra'uf Pasha (September 1904 - August 1908) *

Ali Danis Beg ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...

(August 1908 - September 1909) * Pirizade Ibrahim Hayrullah Bey (September 1909 - January 1912) * Kadri Huseyin Kazim Bey (January 1912 - 8 August 1912) * Ali Ferid Pasha (August 1912 - September 1912)

Notes

References

La Grande Encyclopédie ''La Grande Encyclopédie, inventaire raisonné des sciences, des lettres, et des arts'' (''The Great Encyclopedia: a systematic inventory of science, letters, and the arts'') is a 31-volume encyclopedia published in France from 1886 to 1902 by H. ...

, ''s.v.'' Salonique.

External links

* * {{Subdivisions of the Ottoman Empire, expanded = Vilayets Vilayets of the Ottoman Empire in Europe Macedonia under the Ottoman Empire Ottoman Thessalonica 1867 establishments in the Ottoman Empire 1912 disestablishments in the Ottoman Empire