Ottoman Empire Research Articles

Andalusian and Classical Ottoman Mosque Architecture Features

Cultures have met and influenced each other throughout history, and new and original products have emerged. Andalusian works, which were formed under the influence of Islamic and Christian architectural culture in history, and Ottoman architectural works, which were put forward by considering aesthetics and symmetry, are worth examining and are the subject of many scientific studies. In this study, the characteristics of Andalusian and Ottoman mosque architectures, which represent two peaks in Islamic civilization, were examined and compared. There is a perfect harmony between the multi-column and horseshoe-shaped arches in Andalusian mosques, but this situation creates a dim image. In terms of external appearance, it is reported that the mosques face north, and there is one square-based minaret here. The minarets, which have survived to the present day, have the appearance of a high building and terraces on the upper parts used for observation purposes. In the Ottoman Empire, minarets were built more than once in mosques built by dynasty members and in sultanate mosques, giving the city an aesthetic appearance and being symmetrical with the mosque. In this study, architectural features of mosques in terms of columns, plan, facade arrangement, light order and amount, mortar figures, plant and flower figures, tile decoration, Kufic script, use of bricks, number of minarets, the shape of minarets, arch, color type, and construction process. These features were compared and discussed in the light of social and cultural effects. Keywords: Andalusia; Ottoman; Architecture; Mosque; Culture.

European Empires in and Beyond Europe: Charles Aylmer Macartney and Herbert Adolphus Miller on Ethnonationalism and Minority Rights in Central Europe

ABSTRACT This article considers issues of ethnonationalism and minority rights in the immediate aftermath of WW1 when a new League of Nations was set up by the Allied (Entente) Powers. This body managed the end of empire in Europe and the new nation states in territories previously under the German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian, and Ottoman empires, alongside protections for their new minority subjects. This regime of protection was not extended to the minority subjects of Britain, France and Italy while, for its part, the USA and the Soviet Union did not join the League. Nor did the League intervene in the European empires outside Europe, except to re-assign the territories previously held by the defeated combatants. We consider these issues in the context of Central Europe and the role of two significant commentators, Herbert Adolphus Miller and Carlisle Aylmer Macartney, and their different understandings of the role of empire and racial equality.

Governing authority through bureaucracy: conflicts over bureaucratic cadres and the rise of authoritarianism in the late Ottoman Empire (1908–1913)

ABSTRACT This article presents a historical analysis of how internal power struggles and conflicts among state actors can foster the development of authoritarian systems, particularly when a political network gains exclusive control over the bureaucratic apparatus through its authority over appointments and dismissals. Focusing on the intricate power struggles and factional rivalries surrounding gubernatorial appointments between 1908 and 1913, this article aims to provide an alternative approach to understanding how the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) became the dominant governing force within the state apparatus, enabling it to pursue an authoritarian agenda.

Two conquerors under the dome of the Panorama 1453 History Museum

On 29 May 1453, after conquering Constantinople, the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II (the Conqueror) visited Hagia Sophia, the main church of the Byzantine Empire. He climbed up to the building's dome and viewed the panorama of the newly conquered city. Today, standing on a platform under the dome of the Panorama 1453 History Museum, built in 2009 to commemorate the city's conquest, a visitor is surrounded by a panoramic image of the city about to be conquered, providing a virtual and constructed experience. This experience today under the dome of Panorama 1453 is reminiscent of the Sultan's awe when gazing upon the panoramic view of the city from the dome of Hagia Sophia. I place the Panorama 1453 History Museum at the centre of discussions on how architecture and political issues intertwine and how architecture is open to political manipulation. The museum is a grand political spectacle of the Islamist-nationalist government that attempts to shape Turkey's national subjects as new conquerors. Architecture, instrumental in this shaping, becomes the article's subject. How do architectural features, such as a dome, a higher platform, and a panoramic view, contribute to the instrumentalisation of the museum in transmitting the conquest as an ideology? To examine these questions, I use ‘distance’, a prerequisite of achieving illusion in panorama, as a conceptual device by which remoteness in physical space can stand in for distance in time and the level of intimacy with the ideal (here, the Conqueror or the Ottoman past). Distance as a mediator between past and present helps explore how the conquest panorama shapes visitors' engagement with the ideal through proximal encounters.

The Emergence of a Sephardi Intelligentsia in Haifa During the Late Ottoman Period

Abstract This article discusses the emergence of a circle of Sephardi intellectuals in Haifa in the final years of the Ottoman era and examines their characteristics as Arabic-speaking Jews, who engaged in both educational and political activities. Among other aspects, the article will consider the background to the emergence of this circle among families of Arabic-speaking migrants from the Maghreb. The members of the Sephardi intelligentsia also grew up in a shared Jewish–Arab space and were educated at the school of the Alliance Israélite Universelle, which in itself served as a shared framework for Jews and Arabs. The members of the Sephardi intelligentsia in Haifa continued their training at the Alliance’s Teachers’ Seminary in Paris and engaged in educational work alongside public and political activities as representatives of the Sephardi public. The connection between their Jewish–Arab cultural identity and their educational and political activities was particularly apparent during the transition to the British Mandate. The spotlight on the Sephardi intelligentsia of Haifa thus offers a new perspective on the place of Arabic-speaking Jews in the history of Haifa and on the development of intercommunal relations in this city.

A Late/Post-Imperial Region of Difference: The Ottoman Empire and its Successor Polities in Southeastern Europe, Turkey, and the Arab East, c. 1850s–1940s

Abstract: This text links the literatures on late/post-Ottoman history and on supranational regions. It argues that the area corresponding to the Ottoman Eurasian provinces before the empire’s step-by-step modern-time contraction became a region in the 1850s–1940s. Two processes pulled this region together: sovereignty contests and state-building impacts between the shrinking empire, nascent post-Ottoman nation-states, and interventionist European empires. While shifting around 1920, the region persisted until these two processes waned in the 1940s. The two processes were entwined. They shared a bedrock: the fact that the empire’s premodern religio-ethnic heterogeneity became an issue in modern times, encouraging homogenization. A centrifugal process—the disintegration of the Ottoman “Empire of Difference”—had a centripetal effect: a late/post-imperial region of difference united by the ricocheting impacts of homogenization, persisting “minority” populations, and meddling states, including European empires. Our case helps revisit supranational regions. Compared, for example, to world or global regions, external actors played a more direct part in “our” region; it was short and had a transformative rhythm; and it was characterized not by relatively ordered commonality but by joint volatile differences. Hence, this case forms part of, and illustrates, a broader pattern of modern Eurasian and European empires’ disintegration, which did not just usher in neatly separate nation-states.

Historical geographies of a Damascan population crisis: Jawlān and Ḥawrān in the late Mamluk - early Ottoman periods

This multidisciplinary study examines the potential causes of a severe and rapid population and settlement decline during the period of transition in the Jawlān and eastern Ḥawrān regions in the province of Damascus. The Jawlān had been part of a relatively small and centralized sultanate in the Mamluk period. However, in the sixteenth century it was incorporated into an empire that ruled over three continents, thus its importance and standing gradually diminished. Newly recovered data from archaeological surveys, two archaeological excavations, fifteenth-century Arabic chroniclers and sixteenth-century Ottoman tax registers (defters) evidence the magnitude of a demographic crisis that occurred in one of the province's most fertile areas at a time when neighboring regions enjoyed continuity, stability and growth. The study conclusions are significant: nomadization in conjunction with an internal, seasonal migration process likely caused the steep decline, and not external migration or sudden demographic decline due to plagues or natural disasters. This shift from sedentary to nomadic or semi-nomadic life lasted for a long time; the vast majority of the area residents were Bedouin, able to adapt quickly to the new reality that combined work in the (mazra'as) with cattle raising.

BASIC FOOD AID: A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE BETWEEN MALAYSIAS FOOD BANK AND IMARET DURING THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

The Covid-19 pandemic that first emerged at the end of 2019 has had a huge impact on the world economy and social life. In Malaysia, innumerable people faced unemployment problems and this led to an increase in the number of poverty-stricken individuals, especially in urban areas. Hence, through the initiative of several individuals and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), food banks were established in numerous locations to help communities in need of food aid and basic necessities. According to Islamic history, such forms of food aid had existed throughout the Ottoman era in efforts to deal with the problem of food shortage caused by poverty, natural disasters or war. Therefore, this study aimed to examine and discuss the comparison of food banks created based on the concept and implementation of waqf institutions, which is akin to imaret (or darüzziyafe) initiated during the Ottoman empire in times of pandemics, natural disasters or any kind of dire situation affecting the population. This qualitative study analysed literature from previous studies. Findings indicated that there are several similarities in the general concept between contemporary food banks established in Malaysia and the imaret that existed during the Ottoman empire. Both these initiatives involve an allocation of funds for purchasing food which is then given away free to the need in the community. The financial assistance is provided by individual funds intended solely for the purpose of charity. However, there are differences in terms of implementation by these two institutions, such as the period of existence, method of assistance, distribution of aid, method of distribution and different allocation of funds. In conclusion, the establishment of food banks and imaret have an important role in times of an urgency, such as during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as in other catastrophic situations. The role of this current institution should be expanded so that the affordable sections of the community can implement the food bank concept to help those in need.

In Search of Identity: The Armenian Orphans’ Magazine Tun

ABSTRACT During the Armenian Genocide, the Ottoman Empire’s Young Turk government forcibly transferred and assimilated thousands of Armenian children into Turkish society. After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the First World War, Armenian and international bodies and individuals began to liberate the transferred children. However, they encountered resistance to child identification from both Turkish authorities and some of the children themselves. This study examines the efforts to bring back those child-survivors, many of whom, after being rescued, found it difficult to accept their Armenian identities following their traumatic ordeal. To analyse in what ways the liberated child-survivors were educated, this study investigates Tun magazine, prepared by the orphans of the Jbeil orphanage, and presents its history. Tun is a unique example of a student press that was guided by teachers, with the aim of reinforcing Armenianness in the students and returning them to their nation.

Eşrefoğlu Rûmî, Fütüvvetnâme

This study is the work of Fütüvvetnâme Eşrefoğlu Rûmî of the series canceled by İBER Publications under the name Fütüvvet Kitaplığı. Since the work is a literary work of Eşrefoğlu Rumi, it reflects his world of thought. In addition, the 15th century is important in terms of evaluating the Ottoman Empire from religious, traditional and Sufi perspectives. In the Introduction section of the work, Prof. Dr. İrfan Gündüz has a general introduction about Fütüvvet and Fütüvvetnâmes.

The Historical Development and Role of Turkology Centers in the Central Balkans and Their Impact on Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language

Turkish has always been a matter of curiosity and need outside the borders of the Republic of Turkey. Turkology, which investigates Turk- ishness, the Turkish language and dialects, as well as Turkish culture, civilization, and history, started to develop as a discipline in 19th-century Europe before quickly gaining prevalence. The study of Turkish as a scientific language in the Balkan geography started after the Ottoman Empire had withdrawn from these lands. The first Turkology center in the Balkan geography was established at the University of Belgrade, and the primary purpose behind its establishment was the Serbs’ need to know Turkish to be able to understand their own language and cul- ture. After Belgrade, Turkology centers were opened in other Balkan cities such as Sarajevo and Skopje, and various studies were also being carried out. This study aims to reveal the establishment and historical development of Turkology as a branch of science in the central Balkan countries. Alongside the Turkology centers, the study also discusses the history of teaching Turkish as a foreign language (TTFL) in this region by using qualitative research methods. Based on the obtained data, two main reasons are seen to have emerged for Turkology studies to begin in central Balkan countries. The first has been concluded as the need for the Turkish language to carry out more detailed studies on their language and culture. The second is the presence of the indigenous Turkish people living in North Macedonia and Kosovo.

Skopje In The Evlıya Çelebi’s Book “Seyahatname” (“Travelogue”)

This research paper examines the enduring influence of Ottoman architecture in Skopje, North Macedonia, through the lens of Evliya Çelebi, a prominent travel writer of the Ottoman Empire. Focusing on the 17th century, the study highlights the architectural heritage reflected in Skopje’s urban fabric, exploring the thematic foundations, planning principles, and spatial organization of notable structures. By analyzing Çelebi's “Seyahatname,” we uncover the cultural significance and imperial authority embedded in key landmarks, particularly the Kale Fortress and Yahya Pasha Mosque while comparing their historical and contemporary states. This interdisciplinary approach combines historical analysis, architectural critique, and urban studies to enrich our understanding of Skopje’s built environment and its transformation over time. Ultimately, the research contributes to the broader scholarly discourse on cross-cultural architectural influences, revealing the complex interplay between historical forces and urban development.

Mastering the uncontrollable: The Ottomans and the use of modern technologies.

This special section on technology-in-use in the last decades of the Ottoman Empire strives to strengthen the dialogue between historians of the late Ottoman Empire and historians of technology interested in the way technologies were appropriated, domesticated, and used beyond the great centers of technological innovation, with a special emphasis on all kinds of users, including nonhuman ones. The ruling elites of this multiethnic and multireligious land empire strove to instrumentalize new inventions and techniques to improve the empire's geopolitical standing, but in an era marked by interimperial competition, by the rise of nationalism, and by the global expansion of capitalism, the circulation, appropriation, and use of these innovations and techniques proved far beyond their control. From steamships and railways to electricity, the focus is on the ways technologies were appropriated and used in the Ottoman Empire, how they were integrated into the everyday lives of the people, and how they shaped and were shaped by profit-making and political agendas, which reveals the rapid and enormous impact of new technologies on peripheral regions of the world.

Intellectual Figures in Post-Tanzimat Social Change: The Example of Ahmet Cevdet Pasha and His Granddaughter Sister Zubeyde Ismet

The Tanzimat Period refers to the era spanning from the proclamation of the Gülhane Hatt-ı Hümayun on November 3, 1839, to 1876. Initiated in 1839 under the leadership of Reshid Pasha, the Tanzimat Period concluded in 1876 with the transition to a constitutional regime led by Midhat Pasha. Etymologically, Tanzimat denotes a comprehensive restructuring and transformation of the Ottoman administrative, political, social, and economic life. Ahmed Cevdet Pasha, a prominent figure of the 19th-century Ottoman Empire, made substantial contributions to the realms of administration, politics, culture, and scholarship. This study aims to examine Ahmed Cevdet Pasha, his family life, and the transformation of his granddaughter, Sister Zubeyde İsmet, within the context of the modernization process influenced by the Tanzimat period. The research employs a qualitative research method, specifically document analysis. The Ottoman Empire, having fallen behind the West in numerous areas, particularly in the military, sought to emulate the West, perceived as more advanced. This emulation extended beyond the military realm. With the Tanzimat reforms, Ottoman elites, including statesmen and intellectuals, sent their children to Western missionary schools. These Ottoman offspring were culturally assimilated and indoctrinated to serve the interests of Western Christianization. Consequently, this process of emulation evolved into cultural imperialism. As a result of this cultural imperialism, the granddaughter of Ahmet Cevdet Pasha converted to Christianity and became a nun. Zubeyde İsmet's transformation highlights the significance of the education system; regardless of an individual's adherence to their own religion, culture, and family, the educational system of the state and society in which they live will determine the fate of their generation.

Assessment of the Role of the Regie on the Development of the Tobacco Sector in the Ottoman Empire from the late 19th to the early 20th century

Assessment of the Role of the Regie on the Development of the Tobacco Sector in the Ottoman Empire from the late 19th to the early 20th century

Problems of the Development of Urbanization in the Bulgarian Lands under Ottoman Rule during the Nineteenth Century (until 1878)

Problems of the Development of Urbanization in the Bulgarian Lands under Ottoman Rule during the Nineteenth Century (until 1878)

Transitional Forms of Economic Life in the 18th Century in the Rumeli Provinces of the Ottoman Empire: Barriers and Perspectives

Transitional Forms of Economic Life in the 18th Century in the Rumeli Provinces of the Ottoman Empire: Barriers and Perspectives

L’adieu au califat ?

Abstract Since the revolutionary period of the “Arab Spring”, which began in 2011, the question of the Caliphate and its persistence has been the subject of renewed interest, due to new forms of expression of the Caliphate. Implicit in this is the question of its evanescence. When, on 3 March 1924, the Turkish Grand National Assembly in Ankara voted to abolish the caliphate, shockwaves swept through the Muslim world. Our contribution looks at the contextualisation of this decision, which in a way took on a ‘revolutionary’ dimension in a Middle Eastern scene undergoing profound reconfiguration. We will highlight the dynamics at work, and how this decision was part of the genealogy of institutional changes in the Ottoman Empire, in successive strata. After the abolition of the sultanate on 1 November 1922, the dual title of sultan-caliph disappeared, leaving the caliphate in potential remission.

The global spread of Oriental Horses in the past 1,500 years through the lens of the Y chromosome

Since their domestication, horses have accompanied mankind, and humans have constantly shaped horses according to their needs through stallion-centered breeding. Consequently, the male-specific portion of the Y chromosome (MSY) is extremely uniform in modern horse breeds. The majority of stallions worldwide carry MSY haplotypes (HT) attributed to an only ~1,500-y-old, so-called, "Crown" haplogroup. The predominance of the Crown in modern horse breeds is thought to represent a footprint of the vast impact of stallions of "Oriental origin" in the past millennium. Here, we report the results of a fine-scaled MSY haplotyping of large datasets of patrilines comprising 1,517 males of 189 modern horse breeds, covering a broad phenotypic and geographic spectrum. We can disentangle the multilayered influence of Oriental stallions over the last few hundred years, exposing the intense linebreeding and the wide-ranging impact of Arabian, English Thoroughbred, and Coldblood sires. Iberian and New World horse breeds contain a wide range of diversified Crown lineages. Their broad HT spectrum illustrates the spread of horses of Oriental origin via the Iberian Peninsula after the Middle Ages, which is commonly referred to as the "Spanish influence." Our survey also revealed a second major historical dissemination of horses from Western Asia, attributed to the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. Our analysis shows that MSY analysis can uncover the complex history of horse breeds and can be used to establish the paternal ancestry of modern horse breeds.

Exile practices applied to prostitution in the late Ottoman Empire and the voice of Minoş

Exile stands as one of the most ancient punitive measures employed by human societies. Within the framework of creationist perspectives, the narrative of humanity’s inception unfolds significantly through the motif of exile. The narratives of the Jewish exile from Palestine and the migration of Muslims from Mecca to Medina exemplify the enduring historical relevance of human migration, underscoring its universal presence across diverse societies. Notably, Christianity places considerable emphasis on the expulsion of Adam from the celestial realm. Consequently, it can be posited that humans are, in essence, residing in a state of exile on Earth. The primary objective of this study is not to undertake a comprehensive analysis of exile on a broad scale but, rather, to trace the nexus between women engaged in prostitution and exile in the late Ottoman Empire. Furthermore, it aims to scrutinize a noteworthy case that deviates from conventional practices within this context.