Abstract:

While most of the ottoman towns presented a pluriconfessional demographic profile, Ayvalık distinguished itself, until 1922, for the homogeneity of its population, almost exclusively constituted of orthodox Greeks. The crises the city has undergone through during its short history are to be put into the account of the emergence of nationalisms in 19th century’s Eastern Mediterranean. The article examines the major characteristics of the local society (demography, economy, education…) before 1922. It uses various sources (population and fiscal ottoman registers, testimonies, administrative documents, etc…), kept, for most of them, in the Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivleri (Istanbul), the General State Archives in Athens and the Centre for Asia Minor Studies (Athens).

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