KONGRE BİLDİRİLERİ
2.1. Documents taken during the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman archival documents are indispensable tools for studying not only the history but also
other scientific areas; they document development path of civilization in territories under the Turkish
rule from the 14th to 20th century. These documents were written in the old Ottoman-Turkish language
with Arabic letters, which was the official language of state institutions in the Ottoman provinces, as
well as in Kosova.
Signing of the agreement on cooperation between the State Archive of Kosova and State Archive
of the Ottoman archives in Istanbul 2004, opened the access to archived documents. The first book
was published, where large fund of documents has not yet been explored. In this reserach paper would
be elaborated many original scetches and drawings of building designs of govermental buildings, used
by Vilayet of Kosova, approached by the author during the research. With the help of Kosova Archive
was enabled research of the author at the National Archives in Istanbul, at the year of 2008.
2.1.1. Cartographic documents
Are providing important information, as a mapping display of Prizren Vilajet in the year of 1869,
as well as map of constructed routs and roads in the territory of Kosova during the 19th century. About
1,000 km. of roads are done as a major contribution to connection of Kosova with the neighboring
countries in the region. In 1868 - Prizren became the center of Prizren Vilayet, at that time the biggest
Vilayet which included four large sandjaks: Prizren, Diber, Skopje and Nis. Fig.7 and 8 are presenting
map of Prizren Vilayet produced at 1870th.
Figure 8. Map of Vilayet Prizren, September 1869. godine, larger cities and existing roads 6
2.1.2. Construction and reconstruction of roads and bridges
During research in the State Ottoman Archives in Istanbul (BOA), was found important map, due
to the importance on the construction data of new roads were shown. The map is made on May 1870
by the Fischbach shown in Fig.10. Most of the road across Kosovo was built during this period, 290
km. of new roads, connecting the major cities of Kosova. At the time of this map, 620 km of these
roads were still unfinished as well as construction and repair of major bridges across the river Drin,
shown in Fig.9. Drawings are of the author of the work (with source original maps BOA, HRT.0309,
Fig.10)
Figure 7. Map of Vilayet of Prizren, September 1868.5
Figure 9. Original Map of new roads on Kosovo Vilayet, maj 1870, during the Ottoman Empire7
5 Osmanli Basbakanlik Archiv (BOA), kosova_308 (kosova harita2)
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Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüğü
6 Drawing done by the author of the paper, 2010. (source: the original map in Fig. 7)
7 Osmanli Basbakanlik Archiv, (BOA, HRT.0309), original, 2008g.
Arşiv Dairesi Başkanlığı
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