DJEZA'IR-I BAHR-I SEFID
(Djeza'ir-i Bahr-i Sefid = "Islands of the White Sea", but usually translated as
"the Archipelago" or "the Islands" in western sources)


OSMANLI VILAYET OF THE DJEZA'IR-I BAHR-I SEFID
The Osmanli Elayet of the Djeza'ir-i Bahr-i Sefid was created in 1533 out of the 
maritime possessions of the Empire in the Mediterranean Sea.
The main function of the new Elayet being the permanent supply of ships and sailors
to the Osmanli fleet, it at first enjoyed a special position under the direct care
of the Kapudan Pasha (Great Admiral).
But after the reorganization of the Osmanli fleet on the end of the 18th century,
the importance of the Elayet for naval matters gradually declined and in 1849 the
Djeza'ir-i Bahr-i Sefid lost its special position, becoming an simple Elayet like
all the others. It became a Vilayet in 1867.

At its largest extent in the 16th and 17th centuries the Elayet had covered a wide
range of territories (some coastal provinces of Anatolia and Greece, nearly all
Osmanli Mediterranean islands - Crete being the major exception - and some regions
in Northern Africa like Algiers and Alexandria), but by 1912 - as a result of the
de facto loss of North Africa, of the independence of Greece and of the transfer of
some parts to other continental Vilayets - it only included the following Sandjaks
and islands (1) :

- Limri   :

  The island of Limri (Gr.: Lemnos) was conquered by the Osmanli in 1479. At first
  part of one of the neighbouring Sandjaks of the Elayet of the Djeza'ir-i Bahr-i
  Sefid (Midillu ?), it was made a Sandjak of its own ca 1846 and remained so until
  1912 except from 1867 to 1879  when it was part of the Sandjak of Midillu (?). 
  In 1912 it also included the islands of Bozdja Ata (Gr.: Tenedos), Imroz (Gr.:
  Imvroz) and Semendrek (Gr. : Samothrake) (the three had formed the separate
  Sandjak of Bozdja Ata from ca 1846 to 1867).    

- Midillu :

  The island of Midillu (Gr.: Lesvos/Mytilène) was conquered by the Osmanli in 1462
  and became an original Sandjak of the Djeza'ir-i Bahr-i Sefid in 1533. It remained
  so until 1912. 
  
- Rodos   : 

  The island of Rodos (Gr.: Rhodos) was conquered by the Osmanli in 1522. At first
  it was a separate Elayet, but ca 1546 it became a Sandjak of the Elayet of the
  Archipelago and remained so until 1912.
  In 1912 it also included some other islands of the Southern Sporades :
  Istankoy (Gr.: Kos), Kasot (Gr.: Kásos), Kerpe (Gr.: Kárpathos), etc.

- Sakiz   :

  The island of Sakiz (Gr.: Chíos) was conquered by the Osmanli in 1566.  At some
  time between that year and 1618 it became a separate Sandjak of the Djeza'ir-i 
  Bahr-i Sefid. It remained so until 1912.
  In 1912 it also included some islands of the Southern Sporades : 
  Kalimnoz (Gr.: Kalymos), Karyot (Gr.: Ikaria), Leryoz (Gr.: Léros), etc.  

In apr - may 1912 the Sandjak of Rodos and part of the Sandjak of Sakiz - together
forming the so-called Dodecanese - were occupied by Italian forces and the Vilayet
came to its end. 
The other islands were occupied by Greek forces between may 1912 (Limri) and jan
1913 (Sakiz) and most of them were formally ceded to Greece by the Treaty of London
in 1913. (2)

(1) In 1912 the Vilayet (formally at least) also still included the Sandjak
    of Kibris (Gr.: Kypros) under British administration
    
    See also here for the island of Sisam Atasi (Gr.: Samos) and here for the
    island of Tashuz (Gr.: Thásos), which were part of the Vilayet for some
    time. 

(2) Commander of the Greek forces on the islands :

    1912 - 1913   Adm. Pavlos Koundouriotis                  1855 - 1935        

    Among the islands occupied by the Greeks was Ikaria (nov 1912) which some
    months before (jul 1912) had declared its independence.

    President

    1912          Ioannis Malachias 

    After the end of the war, the strategically important islands of Bozdja
    Ata (Tenedos) and Imroz (Imvroz) were returned to the Osmanli Empire.  
    In 1915 both islands were occupied by allied forces and served as bases
    for the failed Dardanelles expedition.  
    In 1920 they were formally ceded to Greece by the Treaty of Sèvres, but
    actually seem to have remained under allied administration. 
    By the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923 both islands were returned to Turkey
    on condition that they were granted internal autonomy. 
    But this clause of the treaty seems never to have been implemented by
    Turkey.

    As to the Italian occupied islands they were only formally ceded by the
    Osmanli Empire in 1920 by the Treaty of Sèvres.
__________________________________________________________________________________

OSMANLI CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
Vali

1867 - 1873   Kaiserli Ahmed Pasha (2x)                      1... - 1878        
1874 - 1877   Ibrahim Pasha 
1877 - 1878   Ioannes Savas Pasha 
1878 - 1881   Mehmed Sadik Pasha                             1825 - 1901 
1885          Mehmed Akif                                    1822 – 1893 
188. – 1891   Abdullah Galib Pasha 
1891 - 1894   .... 
1894 - 1906   Prevezeli Abidin Pasha Dino 
1906 - 1907   Nasri Pasha 
1908          Ekrem Pasha 
1909 - 1910   Resid Bey 
1911 - 1912   Subhi Bey 


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