Understanding the Rumelian Nostalgia in Early Republican Era

With a particular attention to the memoirs and travel writings of the political and cultural elites of the late Ottoman Empire and early Republican period, this study examines the relationship of these elites with the images and symbols of Rumelia and their meanings when considered alongside the debates of the early Republican period. This thesis first provides a theoretical debate on the concept of nostalgia in the first chapter. The following issues, among others, are examined: what is nostalgia? How can it influence the relationship established by a person's own past and the past of the communities and places that s/he feels committed to? How can nostalgia shape one's personal narratives? How can it be politically evaluated? Secondly, the nature of the geography called Rumelia and the symbolic, political, economic and social importance it carries for the Ottoman Empire is emphasized. It is also crucial to understand this importance and to determine the position of Rumelia, the majority of which is "lost", in the early Republican Period. In addition, discussions about the early Republican period will be included. The politics of the establishment of the Republic, the debates on nationalism, the political geography of the Republic and its relationship with the Ottoman legacy can be cited as some examples of these debates. Finally, the personal narratives are analyzed with reference to the theoretical framework on nostalgia. Moreover, the nostalgic relationship established by the writers with their backgrounds is evaluated around certain themes that come to the fore in narratives. Themes are as follows: the narrative of glory and grief shaped around the conquest and loss of Rumelia, the images of civilization frequently appearing in their narratives through the reference to Rumelia and Anatolia, the essentializing categorization of the Rumelian culture, tradition and nature. Rumelia nostalgia, which has an important place in the memory of the Early Republic and is among the common themes of the Early Republic, lies between the rejection and acceptance of the Ottoman heritage. Keywords: Nostalgia, Rumelia, Early Republican Era, Personal Narratives, Memory