Urban development and Ottoman buildings of Yeni̇ce-i̇ Vardar (Greece)

The history of Evrenos Bey coincides with the conquest of the Balkan region by the Ottomans, and the extension of the Ottoman state within a peculiar feudal system. Evrenos Bey has been an invader, border guard, pilgrim, and the founder of numerous charitable organizations. The city we are focusing on is Yenice-Vardar, is a city with religious and commercial character, where the name of Evrenos was glorified, thus he is known to us today. When the monuments which he left behind are decrypted, we will be in a position to interpret the history of the town. Though the most important person is not Evrenos himself, but his descendant Ahmed, who transformed the town into a cultural centre. A part of this assignment is to wonder what the meaning of the "city" is; a meaning so important as the human had transferred from the stage of barbarity to the stage of civilization by building cities. For this reason, the creation of a new city is important as it progresses the history of civilization. We will see terminologies such as Islamic city or Ottoman city, or Balkan city, and how they affect the way we see the city, the people who live in, the monuments they build and the reason they build them. Keywords: Yenice-i Vardar, Gazi Evrenos Bey, Ahmed Bey, Zaviyeli İmaret, Waqf, Cavalry Raiders, Border Guards