In 1423, Larissa, along with all of Thessaly, was captured by Gazi Turahan Bey, a general of Sultan Murad II. The city would remain part of the Ottoman Empire for nearly five centuries, until 1881.
Larissa in the Ottoman Era
In the early Ottoman period, prearranged settlements of a Muslim population, combined with the flight of most inhabitants to the mountains, transformed the city into a predominantly Muslim town, officially named Yeni Şehir (New City). The few remaining Christians—the inhabitants of the Byzantine acropolis who surrendered by treaty and secured privileges—were confined to the Tranos Mahala neighborhood on the hill known today as “Fortress.”
Later, from the early 17th century onward, Larissa flourished commercially and economically, despite the major epidemics of the era and natural disasters—such as the flooding of the Peneus River—which every so often reduced the population and created significant problems for urban life. In addition to economic prosperity, the city also experienced considerable intellectual growth during this period.
