Abstract:

Modern Ottoman prisons had been shaped around the second half of the 19th century, taken on legal identities by issuing relevant legally based regulations, and been handled within the framework of the search. The need to construct modern prison buildings came to the fore at the same time that universal law was implemented in Ottoman criminal law. In this context, one can use the Ottoman archives to access the discovery books (keşif defterleri) and projects regarding the prisons that had been designed for many Ottoman cities. The discovery book prepared for the Thessaloniki prison is the main focus of the study, and the project files located in the study’s appendix come from one of the files that were encountered in the many Ottoman archives. This file, contains the project blueprints for the 1st-3rd floor plans as well as the elevation drawings for the prison building, that was being planned for construction in Thessaloniki, as well as a discovery book that provides the approximate cost of the detention center building and the expenses that would occur during its construction. One can keep track of material amounts, types, and costs in these discovery books, which are important in terms of providing clues about a region’s construction sector. The project files regarding the Thessaloniki detention center are valuable in terms of determining the spatial organization of the building and its position among other prison projects of the period. In this regard, this study contributes to research on the history of art and architecture in terms of presenting original archival documents that had not yet been encountered in a scientific publication.

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