The Ottoman Influence on the Formation of Balkan Cities in the Classical Age from the Perspective of Hasan Kaleshi

The basic idea behind the Ottoman political dominance that became permanent in the Balkans in the XVth and XVIth centuries should be explained through the acceptance of Ottoman-style urbanism among the peoples of the region and the cities that were tried to be built in the Eastern-style. Thus, it can be better understood how this new belief and culture of Eastern origin areached societies of different ethnic origins in the Balkan geography. In this study, perspective Hasan Kaleshi, the approach of city and urbanism, which is one of the important factors in the settled of this political, socio-cultural and faith-based sovereignty accepted by the Balkan peoples, was focused on. The characteristic features of the cities founded by the Ottomans in the Balkans with their beliefs and traditions have been tried to be read and interpreted from Hasan Kaleshi's work “Orient Civilization in the Yugoslav Lands from the XV Century to the End of the XVII Century”. It is quite rare to evaluate the Ottoman influence on Balkan cities from the perspective of researchers from the region. For this reason, it is thought that the present study will support studies in this approach. The method of the study is based on the examination of Ottoman archive documents and secondary sources in order to support the views on the inspired study.