It may come as a surprise to learn that there is still a small Muslim community in Greece today. Therefore, it would be interesting to delve into the Islamic areas that exist within Greece.
Islam has a presence in Greece through two distinct communities: the longstanding Muslim population that has resided in the country since the era of the Ottoman Empire, primarily in East Macedonia and Thrace, and the more recent Muslim immigrants who began arriving in the late 20th century, predominantly in Athens and Thessaloniki.
The Muslim community in Greece is comprised mainly of immigrants from various regions such as The Middle East (Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran), other Balkan countries (Montenegro, Turkey, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina), and North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt).
The historical roots of Islam in Greece trace back to the Ottoman Empire, with a diverse Muslim population that continues to shape the cultural landscape of the country. The contemporary Muslim community in Greece reflects the ongoing patterns of migration and diversity, contributing to the multicultural fabric of Greek society.
Diverse Cultures
The Muslim community in Greece is quite diverse, with various ethnic, linguistic, and social backgrounds coming together. The Muslim faith is practiced by several ethnic groups in Greece, including the Pomaks, ethnic Turks, certain Romani groups, and Greek Muslims from Crete, Epirus, and western Greek Macedonia who converted to Islam mainly in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Muslim population in Greece saw a significant decrease after the 1923 population exchange agreement between Greece and the new Turkish Republic, which also led to the displacement of around 1.5 million Greeks from Asia Minor. Interestingly, many Muslims in Northern Greece were actually ethnic Greek Muslims from Epirus and Greek Macedonia, while the Muslims of Pomak and ethnic Turkish origin from Western Thrace were excluded from the exchange agreement.
The Governmental Authorities
The Greek authorities have historically viewed the Turkish-speaking Muslim population of Western Thrace as part of the broader Greek Muslim minority, rather than as a distinct Turkish minority.
This approach is designed to emphasize the belief that the Muslims in the region are actually descended from ethnic Greek converts to Islam during the Ottoman era, similar to the Vallahades in Greek Macedonia before 1923.
The goal is to prevent any potential scenario in which Western Thrace could be claimed by Turkey based on the ethnic background of its Muslim residents.
The Dodecanese Islands
In the Dodecanese islands, there exists a small Muslim community known as the Turks of the Dodecanese. This community, which was part of the Italian-controlled Dodecanese from 1911 to 1947, did not participate in the population exchange between Turkey and Greece in 1923.
Approximately 3,000 individuals make up this community, with some identifying with a Turkish heritage and speaking the Turkish language, while others are Greek-speaking descendants of Cretan Muslims. The community is most prominent in the city of Rhodes and the village of Platanos on the island of Kos.
In Western Thrace’s Rhodope Mountains, the Pomaks are primarily settled in compact villages. While the Greek Roma community is largely Greek Orthodox, the Roma in Thrace predominantly practice the Muslim faith.
Main Image Credit – Barna Bartis, Unsplash
The adventurous spirit behind the pages of British Muslim magazine. As the Editor-in-Chief, Natasha leads with a passion for exploration and a pen dipped in wanderlust. With a keen eye for halal travel experiences and an insatiable curiosity for new experiences, she brings readers along on captivating journeys to far-flung destinations. Through her vibrant storytelling, Natasha invites readers on enriching adventures, where every experience is a window into the muslim world.
