International congress of byzantine studies belgrade, 22 27 august 2016

Nurfeddin Kahraman
Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University, Art and Science Faculty, 
Geography Department, Bilecik, Turkey; 
[e-mail]
Refik Arıkan
Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University, Art and Science Faculty, 
History Department, Bilecik, Turkey; 
[e-mail]
New Approaches for the Byzantine-Ottoman Relations (1284 – 1302)
The main problem for the foundation of Ottoman state is question of sources. The first Ottoman 
Chronicals about Pre-Ottoman Era was written after the XV century. On the other hand, the first 
source about Byzantine-Ottoman struggle was written by a contemporary Byzantine Historian 
George Pachymeres who wrote the events starting with Bafeus War, 1302. However, this date is too 
late to explain the foundation of Ottoman State. Because until 1302, the Ottomans pass over the 
east of Karasu Valley and occupied the Byzantine places of Bilecik, Yarhisar, İnegöl, Yenişehir and 
Köprühisar. Thus the Ottomans became an important power and started invasions over the city of 
Nicaea. This knowledge which is not detailed had started to be written after more than a hundred 
years later of foundation. Consequently an important question appears; how Ottomans conquered 
all these places? There should be a preapeiring process for Ottoman invasions of course. 
In our field researches, we have discovered important and stratecigal castles in Bilecik region 
which used by pre-Ottomans. These castles were on the important roads which were connecting 
Bilecik-İnegöl and the others, played a crucial role in between Byzantine-Ottoman struggle. In this 
article we are going to discuss about these castles ant its roles during pre-Ottoman era.
Konstantinos Giakoumis
University of New York Tirana, Tirana / 
Albanian Association of Byzantine Studies, Tirana, Albania; 
[e-mail]
For the Recovery of the Dwindling Empire. 
The Great Palaeologan Strategy for the Westernmost Parts of Via Egnatia
Situated in Via Egnatia’s westernmost regions of the restored empire, the triangle Ochrid, Durrës, 
Vlorë was the crucial passage leading from west into the heart of the empire through Macedonia 
and as such, its strategic importance is evident. In the course of the 13
th
century and until 1281 the 
local populations had experienced many changes, different rules and diverse policies. Following their 
return under Byzantine imperial control, their political and religious identity had to be confirmed and 
consolidated anew. In this vein, the imperial patronage and support aimed at re-integrating the remote 
audiences and reinforcing their sense of belonging to the empire and Orthodoxy.

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At the virtual absence of any fiscal vitality, the Palaeologan court was forced to resort to 
alternative strategies of ‘winning the hearts’ of their subjects. The chain of imperial images across 
this geographic line is noticeable and apparently not coincidental. Furthermore, the pro-ecclesiastic 
stance of Andronicos II, as expressed with the construction or restoration of churches, their 
endowment with holy utensils and precious manuscripts, the circulation of particular coinage and 
the confirmation of privileges in the area, suggests that the westernmost provinces of Via Egnatia 
benefited from the focal policies exercised on a central level in Constantinople and other centres 
(Thessaloniki, Ochrid). The use of subject–matter and types (i.e. warrior saints) encountered in 
prominent contemporary monuments suggest that the artists were conscious of the main artistic 
tendencies and symbolisms. Finally, the pro-monastic character attested in the surviving iconography 
suggests that the intellectual and spiritual explorations of the metropolitan centres were introduced 
in this remote province, while the local population was invited to share them, through art and 
imagery, in a last attempt to salvage the dwindling Byzantine Empire by winning over the hearts of 
the Empire’s westernmost provinces, whose centrifugal leniencies eventually fractured the Empire.