Nineteenth-century Thessaloniki is one of the showpieces of Ottoman modernity. Based on local archives, this timely book studies the factors of change and dwells both on spatial aspects and socio-economic evolution.
The work deals with city government, demographic growth, and the development of new means of communication. It also examines the artisans of change: dignitaries, philanthropic organisations, social clubs, etc. Part of the volume is devoted to the day-to-day lives of anonymous citizens.
The author has adopted a comparative method juxtaposing the face the city presented in the 1830s with that of 1900. The use of Ottoman sources allows her to paint a new and nuanced picture of urban transformation in the port cities of the Eastern Mediterranean.