In-between spaces and temporal frameworks: the Sabbatian Ma’aminim in the Late Ottoman era

The late nineteenth century marked a transformative period for diverse communities in the Muslim world, including the Sabbatian Ma’aminim of Ottoman Salonica, commonly known as the Dönme. This article examines the Ma’aminim’s spatial practices and temporal frameworks—focusing in particular on the Izmirli subgroup—to offer a nuanced account of their layered identity and modes of engagement during this era of change. By analyzing sites ranging from homes and schools to hidden venues of worship and marketplaces, alongside messianic rhythms, life cycle rituals, and daily practices, the study highlights how these dimensions shaped their communal life amid processes of integration into a modernizing Ottoman society. Drawing on accounts by European observers and Jewish writers, the article examines how aspects of the Ma’aminim’s covert communal world became visible during this period, emphasizing the interplay between secrecy, public performance, and social transformation. Through the lens of the Ma’aminim’s distinctive experience, the article challenges static or ahistorical portrayals of communal structures, showing how spatial and temporal practices reflected multifaceted intersections of tradition, modernity, and identity. More broadly, it suggests an approach for understanding how communities in the late Ottoman era navigated multiple spaces and temporalities.