Ottoman period Greek churches of in Mudanya and its villages

Until 1924, when the Ottoman governance began in Mudanya (1321), the majority of the population was Greeks. The existence of Greek churches in Mudanya and its villages is known both from the structures that survive to the present day and from the written sources. In the 19th century, ten Greek churches were rebuilt. Two of these churches, which lost their originality to a great extent, are used as cultural centers. The walls of the three churches, whose roofs have been completely destroyed, are about to collapse. Only one of the other five churches has extant to a height of about one meter. In the Ottoman period, except for the exceptions, the new church was not built until the 19th century, the churches belonging to the Byzantine and pre19th-century Ottoman periods were repaired to and used with the permission of the sultan. Owing to the reform brought by the Edicts of Tanzimat (1839) and Islahat (1856), the foundations of small-size the churches were rebuilt on a larger scale. The documents in the Ottoman archives related to these churches include the reason for rebuilding, dimensions, construction cost, and how to cover this cost. Also, Some churches have ground floor plan and front view drawings. All of the Greek churches in Mudanya have basilica plan, door and window openings with round arches, as well as columns, arches and inner roofs of the naos, have been constructed of wood. The facade arrangement and decorations of the church buildings in Mudanya which have close similarities with the contemporary Greek churches of Bursa and Istanbul, are in eclectic style. Keywords: Mudanya, Greek, Orthodox, Church, Ottoman Period