Mosques Turned into Churches, and Bells Cast from Ottoman Cannons: Between the Russian and Ottoman Empires, Moldavia and Wallachia (1828–34)

Abstract For several centuries, Brăila ( İbrail in Ottoman Turkish) and Giurgiu ( Yergöğü ) were under Ottoman rule. Their strategic site, notably in the military field, became significant during the Russo-Ottoman wars of the 18 th and 19 th centuries. Following the Peace Treaty of Adrianople (September 2, 1829), the two cities were restituted to Wallachia. Soon afterwards, the Russians, who administered Wallachia, Moldavia, and Silistra ( Eflak, Boğdan and Silistre ) until 1834, launched a significant transformation of their urban fabrics. This transformation involved converting the two main mosques into churches, each of which received three bells cast from melted Ottoman cannons. Although the historical background of the events from Giurgiu and Brăila is well known to Romanian historians and beyond, little has been discussed regarding questions such as the scenarios of power, borrowing Richard S. Wortman’s concept, or Russia’s manifestation of power on the Danube. Our contribution is a search for answers in this regard.