Discover Apollonia

Apollonia is a riverside settlement with a historical name and an Ottoman architectural complex. If you are looking for a hotel in Apollonia, these features give your choice of destination a clear focus: the town’s history is reflected, among other things, in its former name, Bazar-i Cedid, while the Sokollu Mehmed Pasha complex brings together a mosque, a han, and a bathhouse. This puts both the settlement itself and a group of historic buildings in the spotlight.

Riverside history

In Ottoman registers, the present-day riverside settlement appears from the 16th century onward under the name Bazar-i Cedid. The former name refers to Apollonia as a settlement; its location by the water adds a specific geographical feature to this historical connection with the place. For travelers who are also interested in the history of a destination’s name when choosing where to go, this offers a distinct point of interest. Apollonia can therefore be understood not only through its architectural complex, but also through its history as a settlement.

An Ottoman complex

The historic complex in Apollonia consists of a mosque, a han, and a bathhouse. It was built during the reign of Sultan Selim II (1566–1574) at the expense of Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (Şokolli Muhammad Pasha). The reign places the construction in chronological context, while its funding is associated with the grand vizier. These details clearly distinguish the political period in which the complex was built from the named financier. Together, the three buildings make up the complex.

The settlement’s history of its name and the complex’s construction history can be considered side by side, but should not be combined into a single date. Bazar-i Cedid appears in the registers from the 16th century onward; the years 1566–1574 refer to the reign of Selim II, during which the complex was built. The first date refers to the settlement’s name, the second to its construction. This comparison helps put Apollonia in historical context without conflating the settlement’s name with the construction of the three buildings.

The han in the complex

The complex has been preserved; of its three monuments, the han is the most heavily ruined. These two details refer to different levels: preservation applies to the complex as a whole, while the most severe deterioration applies to the han as an individual component. This helps put the condition of the complex in context without equating the han with the entire site. For travelers who are also interested in the condition of historic buildings, this distinction adds a specific nuance to the complex. The han is therefore the point of comparison among the three named monuments.

If you also choose a destination for its historical focus, you can explore Apollonia through two questions: What was the settlement formerly called, and how should the complex’s buildings be understood in terms of their date and state of preservation? This perspective brings together the history of the name and the buildings, along with a specific distinction within the complex.

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