The Ottomans : a cultural legacy

• Darke, an independent scholar, regularly contributes to popular scholarship catering to public interest in the early modern Ottoman Empire. With a focus on the cultural heritage of the tumults that brought Ottoman authority to vast areas of Southeast Europe, the Black Sea and its hinterlands, and the entire Eastern Mediterranean, Darke’s presentation of the emblems of Ottoman cultural amalgamation has become her forte. In this latest offering, Darke’s soft empiricism on a wide range of cultural themes covered by chapters on food, music, trade, and of course architecture (by way of the monumental projects associated with this heyday of imperial power) is complimented by her heavy use of beautiful illustrations. This format offers an appealing accounting of a supposed multicultural Ottoman psyche for the target audience. Through iterations of cosmopolitan Ottoman architecture, Darke identifies this fluid society's deep investment in knowledge production, extending from the earliest early modern societies' administrations of vaccinations to advances in drawing accurate maps used by the larger world. As such, Darke’s latest volume is another celebration of an Ottoman Empire that is finally accepted for the cultural fluidity that reflects the successful integration of the vast diversity of its peoples. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers and lower-division undergraduates.

Ämnesord

HUMANIORA  -- Annan humaniora -- Kulturstudier (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Other Humanities -- Cultural Studies (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Ottoman Empire

Imperialism

Migration

Armenians

State Formation

konstvetenskap

Art History

Byzantine Studies

bysantinologi

Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures

Mellanösterns språk och kulturer

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

rec (ämneskategori)