Ottoman City between East and West: Aleppo, Izmir, and Istanbul

 Studies of early-modern Islamic cities have stressed the atypical or the idiosyncratic. This bias derives largely from orientalist presumptions that they were in some way substandard or deviant. The first purpose of this volume is to normalize Ottoman cities, to demonstrate how, on the one hand, they resembled cities generally and how, on the other, their specific histories individualized them. The second purpose is to challenge the previous literature and to negotiate an agenda for future study. By considering the narrative histories of Aleppo, Izmir and Istanbul, the book offers a departure from the piecemeal methods of previous studies, emphasizing their importance during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and highlighting their essentially Ottoman character. While the essays provide an overall view, each can be approached separately. Their exploration of the sources and the agendas of those who have conditioned scholarly understanding of these cities will make them essential student reading.

Review: "Eldem offers fresh insights on the history of an understudied yet very important imperial capital...this collaborative effort succeeds in addressing key issues in the wider debate on the nature of 'Islamic' cities and the possibilities of cross-cultural and comparative urban studies. Hopefully, it will prepare the ground for comparatuve studies between the port cities of the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean world. This book is highly recommended for use both in the classroom and in scholarly studies on urban history." MESA Bulletin
"The authors are specialists on their respective cities but have effectively integrated their knowledge and theoretical approaches into a pleasing volume that will reward close reading." The Historian
"Through fine scholarship and impeccable writing, the authors present a delightful collection of essays." History
"This is an important contribution to the study of Ottoman History and the authors' essays indicate the rich possibilities that comparative history holds for the study of diverse early modern cities." Comparative Studies in Society and History
"...[the authors] provide an overarching picture that displays the dynamism of the urban process that Aleppo, Izmir, and Istanbul experienced in a comparative perspective.... the book is a valuable contribution to urban history and should enjoy an appeal beyond the scope of Ottoman studies." American Historical Review
"The book overall is a major contribution to Middle Eastern studies. It is a pioneering effort in urban comparative studies that sheds much light on the physical transformation of the Ottoman city across the centuries." Abdul-Karim Rafeq