Evidence of Bulgarian Religious Life
During the time of Ottoman rule, the Bulgarian people in Macedonia gave clear proof of their national identity through religion. In what is now Serbian Macedonia, there were 677 churches served by 299 priests. These were not only places of worship but also symbols of unity, testifying to the strong corporate consciousness of Bulgarians in religious matters. Even under Turkish control, the people worked hard to keep their faith alive in their own language and traditions Small Nations and Their Right to Freedom.
Bulgarian Education Under Ottoman Rule
Religion was not the only field where Bulgarians showed their unity. Education played a central role as well. In the same Serbian territory, there were 596 schools, staffed by 1,005 teachers, and attended by 36,000 students. This was not a small achievement under the difficult conditions of Ottoman rule. It showed that the people valued learning in their own language and were willing to support schools despite poverty and oppression.
In what later became Greek territory, similar evidence can be found. There were 300 churches with 299 priests, as well as 340 schools with 589 teachers and 19,000 students. These numbers prove that the Bulgarians were deeply rooted in both their religion and education throughout Macedonia.
Questions About Serbian and Greek Claims
If the population of Macedonia had really been Serbian or Greek, why did Serbia and Greece not provide for their religious and educational needs during Ottoman times? Why did they not build schools, train priests, or support the local people? The fact that Bulgarians themselves carried this burden is strong proof of their identity Turkey Sightseeing.
If the people had been satisfied with the Greek bishops and priests imposed on them by the Ottoman authorities, why did they fight so hard and so long to free themselves? Their struggle finally succeeded with the creation of the Bulgarian Exarchate, which gave them their own spiritual and educational independence.
The Revolutionary Movements
Another important fact is that all the revolutionary movements in Macedonia against Turkish rule were led by Bulgarians. Greeks and Serbs often opposed them. The Ilinden Uprising of 1903 ended in tragedy when thousands of Bulgarians were massacred by the Turks. It was not Greeks or Serbs who were killed, but Bulgarians.
The massacre left behind many orphans, and the Bulgarian Orphanage in Bitola was created to protect them. Yet when Serbia later took control, it closed the orphanage and left the children without support.
Greek Policies in Macedonia
The same pattern appeared in Greek Macedonia. If that land had truly been Greek, why did the Carnegie Commission report that the Greeks burned 160 Bulgarian villages and destroyed at least 16,000 Bulgarian homes? Such acts show that the Greeks saw the people as Bulgarians, not Greeks, and treated them as enemies.
If the wars against Turkey had truly been wars of liberation, why did the so-called liberators—Serbia and Greece—seize all the Bulgarian churches, expel the bishops and priests, and close the Bulgarian schools? Why was teaching in the Bulgarian language forbidden?
One striking example is the Bulgarian Gymnasium in Salonica, which had been a center of culture and learning for Southern Macedonia under Turkish rule. After the Greek takeover, it was closed, even though it had been one of the most important institutions for Bulgarian education.
The evidence from both religious and educational life clearly shows the Bulgarian character of Macedonia during Ottoman times. The people proved their unity through churches, schools, uprisings, and sacrifices. The closing of their institutions by Greeks and Serbs after liberation reveals not a natural union but a forced suppression of their identity. History, numbers, and the testimony of international observers all point to the same truth: the people of Macedonia were, and felt themselves to be, Bulgarians.
