The Pilot Application serves as illustrative matter and as a case study, and is a complementary component to the Teacher Handbook. Specifically, the Pilot Application constitues a dynamic digital representation of the sound history of the Old Achaeological Museum (Yeni Cami) of Thessaloniki, throughout the twentieth century.
The Yeni Cami, an extraordinary monument of late-Ottoman architectural eclecticism, was built in 1902 by the Italian architect Vitaliano Poselli (1838-1918) to cover the religious needs of the Ma’min community (Judeo-Spanish-speaking Muslim converts) of Thessaloniki, known also as Donmedes (Tr. dönme; convert). The mosque, whose fascinating modern history has been marked by a series of alterations of usage (1902-1922: Mosque; 1922-1925: Asia Minor Refugee Shelter; 1925-1962: Archaeological Museum; 1986-current: Arts Venue of the Municipality of Thessaloniki), has hosted an array of culturally and functionally diverse sound practices, ranging from the Islamic praying ritual to the concert activities of the European Capital of Culture (1997).
The Pilot Application brings together the rich archival (maps, site plans, legal documents, travelogues, architectural evidence, concert flyers, etc.) and ethnographic (interviews, filmed performances, sound recordings, etc.) material of the building, reconstructing its layers of sonic environments and representing them in such a manner that highlights the vibrant urban history and cultural heritage of the city of Thessaloniki.
Click here to visit the Pilot Application