Komotini

To start with, let’s discuss Komotini’s first particularity, its demography. The population counts approximately 51,000 people.

The city is composed of a large community of dynamic students. Indeed, Komotini having the third biggest University in Greece, its population is in a large part composed of its students. More precisely, in the local Democritus University of Thrace, study 27000 students all spread out between Komotini, Xanthi, Alexandropuli and Orestiada. Therefore, according to the Erasmus organisation of the University 10000 students actually live in Komotini. The student demography is mostly composed of Greek Orthodox students coming from all over Greece. Along side them, live the Christian Orthodox community, which is composed of Greek locals ‘with repatriated Greeks from the former Soviet republics, immigrants and refugees representing 10 % of that group’. These two groups altogether represent about 65% of the population. Thus the remaining 35% represents the diverse Muslim community. It is constituted of Pomak (Bulgarian Muslims), Romas, Turkish and Greek Muslims of Turkish origin.

In a country where the official population of Muslim is of about 5 % of the total Greek population (These 5% do not include the recent flux of refugees ), one can imagine the difference the demography of the region of Western Thrace and Komotini more particularly have to the rest of Greece. Therefore, for Umit Halil Ibrah, one of the participants, Komotini is a ‘mosaic’, a ‘global city’. Another participant called it a ‘big village’. Thus, the local demography is the first hidden particularity of Komotini.

The second particularity is to do with how the Muslim minority feels and lives in Komotini. Another trend in my interviewee’s description of Komotini is their agreement on the fact that the Muslim minority feels a sense of belonging here. Indeed, both Amet Omer and Umit Halil Ibrah agreed on feeling like they belonged here; while most of the participants from the Orthodox group agreed that the Muslim community is well settled in this region.

This on the one hand, differentiates from the rest of Greece where they do not possess the same rights as in this region and on the other reflects the long history of the region of Western Thrace (see Historical background). These historical roots are reflected in the city’s diverse culture. The Greek churches and typical Greek establishments like taverns and bouzoukia bars mix harmoniously with the Turkish neighbourhood, its bazaar and sixteen mosques. Consequently, the Muslim minority represents as much a part of Komotini as the Christian Orthodox do. Some of my interviewees would even say that regardless of their different religious beliefs, both communities endorse some of the same values, such as strong family ties and mutual respect. Hence, the second particularity that defines this region is the unique status of the Muslim community and the general atmosphere in which the communities cohabit.

Thus, during all the interviews, participants unanimously highlighted Komotini’s distinctive factors that make it stand out to the rest of Greece. From its population demography to its daily life and its authentic touch, they all agreed that Komotini and Western Thrace in general is unique. However, the interviewees have also overwhelmingly insisted on the concealed nature of this area’s particularities. Therefore, in the following categories the voice of the locals will be channelled to reveal in more detail information that make the region such a complex and fascinating area.