79. Hamdi Bey Mansion – Democritus University of Thrace Building
Brief documentation:
It was built at an unknown date by the wealthy tobacco merchant Hamdi Hussein Fehmi, who was a prominent figure of the Muslim community of the city. In the elections of 1935, 1936 and 1951 he was elected MP with the People's Party. In 1931, together with Osman Nouri Fetaoglu, he published the local newspaper Milliet. During the Bulgarian occupation of 1913-1919 the building was used as the headquarters of a division of the Bulgarian army. Today it belongs to the Democritus University of Thrace and houses its services.
It is an imposing two-storey tiled mansion of bourgeois character, which is built according to the standards of neoclassicism. The architectural style of the building results from a combination of neoclassicist and eclectic elements. The building is developed on three levels, as it includes a semi-basement, an elevated ground floor and an upper floor.
The exterior of the building is constructed with absolute symmetry and includes a number of decorative elements, such as false pillars with false capitals, cornice between the floors, as well as in the coronation of the masonry, cornice with decorative sculptural elements on the upper and lower side of the window frame.
The main entrance of the building supports with two imposing pillars the extension of a part of the interior of the floor, while the windows located in the basement are covered with the characteristic type of local ironwork.
There is an imposing marble staircase that leads to the ground floor. On the protrusion of the floor above the entrance there are decorative rosettes under the windows.
Category of thematic interest: ΑARCHITECTURAL/HISTORICAL/CULTURAL/FOLKLORE INTEREST
History:
The building was built by the wealthy tobacco merchant Hamdi Hussein Fehmi (1900-1965), to function as a residence. His two sons who inherited the mansion sold the building to the Democritus University of Thrace. After its restoration, it is used today to house services of the Democritus University of Thrace.
Tobacco merchant Hamdi Hussein Fehmi was a prominent figure in the city's Muslim community.
He was the son of one of the leaders of the Tamra uprising and the Autonomous Republic created in the region of the Rhodope Mountains in the period 1878-1886, who later fled to the region of Western Thrace. In the elections of 1935, 1936 and 1951 he was elected MP with the People's Party. In 1931, together with Osman Nouri Fetaoglu, he published the local newspaper Milliet. During the Bulgarian occupation of 1913-1919 his residence building was used as the headquarters of a division of the Bulgarian army.
Elements of architecture:
It is an imposing two-storey tiled mansion of urban character. The architectural style of the building is influenced by neoclassicism with strong elements of eclecticism. The building is developed on three levels, as it includes a semi-basement, ground floor and first floor. The exterior of the building is constructed with absolute symmetry and includes a number of decorative elements, such as false pillars with false capitals, cornice between the floors, as well as in the coronation of the masonry, cornice with decorative sculptural elements on the upper and lower side of the window frame. The main entrance of the building supports with two imposing pillars the extension of a part of the interior of the floor. The windows located in the semi-basement are covered by the characteristic type of local ironwork. There is an imposing marble staircase that leads to the ground floor.
Description of other elements:
On the protrusion of the floor above the entrance there are decorative rosettes under the windows.
Purpose - Use: Residence, University building
Characterization: ΥMATH/633/19-02-1991, ΦΕΚ 116/Δ/1991
Dating (period): Unknown
Year of construction: Unknown
Location of the monument: 41.14080392578772, 24.883418300525328
Bibliographic references:
• Dimitris Mavridis, Angelophylaktos Xanthi, Holy Metropolis of Xanthi and Peritheoriou, Xanthi 2007
• Dimitris Mavridis, Houses of Xanthi, Holy Metropolis of Xanthi and Peritheoriou – DEAX, Xanthi 2009
• K. Featherstone, D. Papadimitriou, A. Mamarelis, G. Niarchos, The Last Ottomans. The Muslim minority of Western Thrace, 1940 – 1949, Alexandria, Athens 2013
• Elias Nikolakopoulos, "Political forces and electoral behavior of the Muslim minority in Western Thrace: 1923 – 1955" in the Bulletin of the Center for Asia Minor Studies, 8 (1990), pp. 171 – 204
• Katsari-Vafiadis, J. Ed. 2023. "History and recording of the neoclassical buildings of the traditional settlement". Xanthi: Municipality of Xanthi, p. 200
Address: 42 4th Oktovriou Street
Visitable: No