Nida Nebahat Nalçacı | Bilkent University (original) (raw)
Thesis Chapters by Nida Nebahat Nalçacı
This dissertation is about the transformation of the legal, economic and social status of capti... more This dissertation is about the transformation of the legal, economic and social status of captives taken during the wars between the Ottomans and Venetians. It also covers how the events between 1560-1590 affected both countries' and the Mediterranean's history. This study argues that the political, military, and economic interaction between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire profoundly affected the history of slavery in the Mediterranean. This dissertation focuses mainly on these two states. The changes in the status of war captives and slaves through the years were studied, along with the changes caused by the establishment of Ottoman domination in the region. After the emergence of the Ottomans, a regional power, it took a long time for the Venetian Republic, a European state with active commercial operations both in the Eastern
In this dissertation, Prisoners of War as unfree and forced labor power, their existence in Early... more In this dissertation, Prisoners of War as unfree and forced labor power, their existence in Early Modern Age Ottoman Istanbul and the society was researched by the help of the documents in Ottoman Achieves.
Books by Nida Nebahat Nalçacı
Papers by Nida Nebahat Nalçacı
DergiPark (Istanbul University), Sep 1, 2010
El-hâsıl cemi İstanbul'u Sultan Mehmed Han yapıp, bir vechile mamur etti-kim, "etraf-ı âlemde anı... more El-hâsıl cemi İstanbul'u Sultan Mehmed Han yapıp, bir vechile mamur etti-kim, "etraf-ı âlemde anın misli şehir yoktur" diye seyyahlar şehadet ederler. 1 Neşrî Giriş Yerine İstanbul modern zamanlara kadar, Roma ve Kudüs gibi, yüzyıllarca insanlığın çekim merkezlerinden biri olagelmiştir. Bazen varılacak nihai nokta bazen de kısa süreliğine uğranan bir yer olarak, çeşitli amaçlarla yola çıkıp hatıralarını kaleme alan seyyahların anlatılarına konu olmuştur. Şehrin gözlemlenmesi ve bu gözlemlerin kaydedilmesi, en eski tarihlere kadar uzanan bir uğraştır. Philip Mansel'in de dediği gibi "Konstantiniyye, istisnai uzunlukta bir tarihsel belleğe sahip olan bir şehirdir". 2 Bu çalışmamızda tarih boyunca çeşitli sebeplerle İstanbul'u görme şansına erişip anılarını kaleme alan seyyahları ve böylelikle İstanbul tarihine katkı sağlayan seyahatnameleri ve seyahatnameler etrafında hazırlanmış çalışmaları incelemeyi deneyeceğiz.
Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies of the University of London, Dec 1, 2021
Until recently, slavery studies had been dominated by the field of Atlantic and ancient era slave... more Until recently, slavery studies had been dominated by the field of Atlantic and ancient era slavery. Other regions and eras had mostly been neglected. However, slavery existed in nearly every society in different parts of the world, in accordance with geographical, cultural, and economic circumstances; it changed its form throughout the ages until it was finally abolished officially, although different ‘hidden forms of slavery’ nevertheless continue in the contemporary world. The very institution of slavery exists here and now. The medieval and the early modern Mediterranean world was no exception. The Ottoman empire was one of those societies that employed slave labour effectively in its workforce. The Ottomans inherited slavery as a form of forced labour from eastern Mediterranean societies and reformulated it according to Islamic law and tradition.
Türkiye Araştırmaları Literatür Dergisi, Sep 1, 2010
El-hâsıl cemi İstanbul'u Sultan Mehmed Han yapıp, bir vechile mamur etti-kim, "etraf-ı âlemde anı... more El-hâsıl cemi İstanbul'u Sultan Mehmed Han yapıp, bir vechile mamur etti-kim, "etraf-ı âlemde anın misli şehir yoktur" diye seyyahlar şehadet ederler. 1 Neşrî Giriş Yerine İstanbul modern zamanlara kadar, Roma ve Kudüs gibi, yüzyıllarca insanlığın çekim merkezlerinden biri olagelmiştir. Bazen varılacak nihai nokta bazen de kısa süreliğine uğranan bir yer olarak, çeşitli amaçlarla yola çıkıp hatıralarını kaleme alan seyyahların anlatılarına konu olmuştur. Şehrin gözlemlenmesi ve bu gözlemlerin kaydedilmesi, en eski tarihlere kadar uzanan bir uğraştır. Philip Mansel'in de dediği gibi "Konstantiniyye, istisnai uzunlukta bir tarihsel belleğe sahip olan bir şehirdir". 2 Bu çalışmamızda tarih boyunca çeşitli sebeplerle İstanbul'u görme şansına erişip anılarını kaleme alan seyyahları ve böylelikle İstanbul tarihine katkı sağlayan seyahatnameleri ve seyahatnameler etrafında hazırlanmış çalışmaları incelemeyi deneyeceğiz.
Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies, 2021
Until recently, slavery studies had been dominated by the field of Atlantic and ancient era slave... more Until recently, slavery studies had been dominated by the field of Atlantic and ancient era slavery. Other regions and eras had mostly been neglected. However, slavery existed in nearly every society in different parts of the world, in accordance with geographical, cultural, and economic circumstances; it changed its form throughout the ages until it was finally abolished officially, although different ‘hidden forms of slavery’ nevertheless continue in the contemporary world. The very institution of slavery exists here and now. The medieval and the early modern Mediterranean world was no exception. The Ottoman empire was one of those societies that employed slave labour effectively in its workforce. The Ottomans inherited slavery as a form of forced labour from eastern Mediterranean societies and reformulated it according to Islamic law and tradition.
Türk-İtalyan Müşterek Harp Tarihi Sempozyumu 21-22 Ekim 2019 Milli Savunma Bakanlığı, Milli Savun... more Türk-İtalyan Müşterek Harp Tarihi Sempozyumu
21-22 Ekim 2019
Milli Savunma Bakanlığı, Milli Savunma Üniversitesi, Türk Tarih Kurumu, İstanbul.
2. Uluslararası Hacı Bektaş Veli Hoşgörü Ve Barış Sempozyumu 08-10 Ekim 2015 "Yaşadığımız coğ... more 2. Uluslararası Hacı Bektaş Veli Hoşgörü Ve Barış Sempozyumu 08-10 Ekim 2015
"Yaşadığımız coğrafyanın en kadim ve güçlü inanç guruplarından biri olan Bektaşiliğin ibadet ve mekân ilişkisi çalışmanın ana omurgasını oluşturmaktadır. Fuat Köprülü tarafından sınıfsal ve sosyal farklılıklar gözetilerek yapılan Şehir ve Köy Bektaşiliği tanımlaması çalışmanın içeriğini belirlemekte kullanılan önemli bir referans olmuştur.
Buradaki çalışma Köy ve Şehir Bektaşiliğinin ibadet ve ayinlerinin mekânsal birimleri olan Serçeşme, Ocak, Ev, Cemevi, Tekke ve Kültür merkezleri tarihi süreç(Osmanlılardan günümüze) ve coğrafya ilişkileri bağlamında değerlendirilmesidir. Köy ve Şehir Bektaşiliği esasında yapılan tasnifte Anadolu ve Rumeli coğrafyasında inşa edilmiş günümüzde işlevini devam ettiren, fonksiyon değiştirmiş yada sadece belgelerle haberdar olduğumuz günümüze ulaşamamış mekanlar değerlendirilecektir.
Son yıllarda İstanbul başta olmak üzere Anadolu’nun birçok ilinde Cemevi proje tasarım yarışmaları düzenlenmekte ve birçok mimar ve tasarımcı bu organizasyonlara katılım sağlamaktadır. Yapılan bu çalışmanın günümüz Bektaşi ibadet mekanları ile ilgili önemli bir veri tabanına dönüşmesi ve uzun soluklu bir çalışmaya altyapı oluşturması düşünülmektedir."
İstanbul’un Kitabı
History of Mahmutpaşa District in Istanbul
Travel books, penned by travelers visiting Istanbul for a variety of reasons can be cited among s... more Travel books, penned by travelers visiting Istanbul for a variety of reasons can be cited among sources illuminating the history of Istanbul. The events recited by the traveler serve to highlight the differences in well accepted knowledge and perceptions in cities and sometimes become the subject of the traveler’s imagination. These books, in the period they were written, mostly served those readers who did not have the means or the courage to travel yet were curious to find out more about the subject city or those diplomats who needed information on other cities for diplomatic purposes. In modern times, travel books have been of interest for both readers with desire to learn more about the city’s past and researchers in various branches of the discipline of history. It is surely important to consult travel books with an awareness of prejudiced or orientalist viewpoints, while trying to better evaluate the political, cultural and economic structures in related studies. Coming to the fore as a sub-branch of memoirs and penned in various forms, travel books describe Istanbul in many different languages. The personal characteristics of most travelers and elements such as their reasons for traveling, their itineraries have obviously determined the context of their observations. The traveling purposes of those travelers arriving at Istanbul via different itineraries are quite different. Ambassadors, merchants, slaves and scientists as well as those starting out just for the purpose of traveling reached the city by sea or by land. Some took the ship from the Mediterranean, Black Sea or the Danube, and some traveled along the land trade route extending into the city. This study will first analyze travel books helpful for urban historiography of Istanbul and then present a selected bibliography.
Articles by Nida Nebahat Nalçacı
Dergide yayımlanan yazı, fotoğraf, çizim ve planlardan yasal olarak eser sahipleri sorumludur. Ya... more Dergide yayımlanan yazı, fotoğraf, çizim ve planlardan yasal olarak eser sahipleri sorumludur. Yazılardan kaynak belirterek tam veya özet alıntı yapılabilir. Fotoğraflar izinsiz kullanılamaz.
Conference Presentations by Nida Nebahat Nalçacı
16. yüzyılın ikinci yarısında hala Venedik Cumhuriyeti’ne ait olan Kıbrıs Adası, Doğu Akdeniz’i... more 16. yüzyılın ikinci yarısında hala Venedik Cumhuriyeti’ne ait olan Kıbrıs Adası, Doğu Akdeniz’i bütünüyle kontrol altına almak isteyen Osmanlı Devleti için hem ekonomik ve askerî açıdan ciddi bir mesele haline gelmişti. Venedik yönetimindeki ada Cumhuriyet’in bölgedeki tek deniz üssü olmakla beraber Ortaçağ tipi feodalizmin de uygulandığı son yerlerden biri idi. Adada iki büyük ve kuvvetli kale şehir olan Lefkoşa ve Mağusa’nın fiziki şartlarını çok iyi bilen Osmanlı Devleti, kuşatmanın uzun süreceğini öngörerek detaylı hazırlıklar sonucunda Kıbrıs Seferi’ni başlatmıştı.
Deniz yolundan gelebilecek yardımların kesilmesi, kara ordusunun tamamıyla başka bir devletin yönetimindeki adaya çıkarılması gibi kendine has ön hazırlıkları olan adanın kuşatılmasına, istihkamın en zayıf olduğu güneydoğudan başlanmıştır. Haziran 1570 tarihinde başlayan adanın kuşatması Ağustos 1571 yılında tamamlanmıştır. Kara şehri olan Lefkoşa’nın kuşatması 7 haftada tamamlandı. Bu bildiride, Lefkoşa kuşatmasının Kıbrıs Seferi içinde arz ettiği önem, Osmanlı Devleti’nin bu kuşatmaları icra etmeden önce yaptığı idari ve lojistik hazırlıklar ve kuşatmanın icrası incelecektir.
Osmanlı Devleti’nin sefer organizasyonu, Venedik Cumhuriyeti’nin aldığı önlemler, uzayan sefer sırasında çıkan sıkıntılar, teknoloji transferi izleri ve başarılı geçen kuşatmalar sonrası yaşananlar da çalışmada incelenecektir. Sadece Osmanlı Devleti ve Venedik Cumhuriyeti’nin değil tüm Avrupa Devletleri’nin gündemini işgal eden ve sonuçları ile pek çok devlete askeri ve ekonomik etkisi olan Kıbrıs Seferi’nin bu yönlerine de yer verilecektir.
In the second half of the 16th century, Cyprus, still under the rule of the Republic of Venice, had become a serious issue for the Ottoman Empire, which sought to control the Eastern Mediterranean economically and militarily completely. Under Venetian rule, the island was the Republic's only naval base in the region and one of the last places where medieval feudalism was practiced.
Knowing well the physical conditions of the two major and powerful fortress cities on the island, Nicosia and Famagusta, the Ottoman Empire launched the Cyprus Campaign after detailed preparations, anticipating a prolonged siege. With its unique preparations, including cutting off sea routes for potential reinforcements and landing an army on an island under the control of another state, the siege of the island began from the weakest point in fortifications, the southeast. The siege of the island, which began in June 1570, was completed in August 1571. The siege of Nicosia was completed in 7 weeks. This paper will examine the importance of the siege of Nicosia within the context of the Cyprus Campaign, the administrative and logistical preparations made by the Ottoman Empire before these sieges, and the conduct of the sieges.
The study will also explore the Ottoman Empire's campaign organization, the measures taken by the Republic of Venice, the difficulties encountered during the prolonged campaign, traces of technology transfer, and the aftermath of the fall of the fortresses. Additionally, it will address the aspects of the Cyprus Campaign, a major event at the time, not only for the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice but also for all European states, with its military and economic impacts on many countries.
The panel focuses on the slave redemption operations at the borders of the Ottoman Empire, drawin... more The panel focuses on the slave redemption operations at the borders of the Ottoman Empire, drawing from Ottoman and Italian texts. While details of these operations are present in archival texts, they have not been extensively researched. The panel will present data on operations in Istanbul, Crimea, and North Africa. Participants, whose primary research focus is slavery, will examine the redemption system in these concentrated regions. The chair of the panel will be Suraiya Faroqhi. The first presentation, titled 'Nexus of Religious Dependency and Kefâret as Catalysts for Slave Liberation in the Early Modern Crimean Khanate,' delves into the complex dynamics of slave manumission. It explores both the religiously motivated voluntary acts and the compulsory practices within Islamic societies, specifically focusing on the eighteenth-century Crimean Khanate. The second presentation, titled 'Dealing with Infidels: Instructions on How to Conduct a Ransom Mission (16th-19th centuries),' will analyze archival evidence of the actual instructions given to redeemers from Sicily and Venice for conducting ransoms in Tunis and Constantinople. The third presentation, titled 'A Sicilian Redemption: An Example of an Ego-Document among the Ottoman Safe-conducts Preserved in the State Archives of Palermo,' involves a paleographical analysis of the documents from the State Archives of Palermo referred to as 'Arciconfraternita della Redenzione dei Cattivi.' This analysis focuses on the lexicon used to convey specific concepts, comparing the lexical tradition of the Christian Mediterranean States and religious institutions with that of the Ottoman Empire. The last presentation, titled 'Forbidden Redemption: The Secret Ransom Operations for War Captives in Istanbul During the War of Cyprus,' will focus on the transformation of idiosyncratic ransom operations in the Ottoman capital.
The War of Cyprus stands as a distinctive chapter in Mediterranean Slavery, showcasing its reasons, processes, and outcomes. Before, during, and after this conflict, the impact extended beyond the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire to encompass societies within the region. The longstanding practices of ransom underwent change, witnessing the emergence of new influential figures.
During the campaign, Nicosia alone witnessed the capture or disappearance of twenty thousand Cypriots. According to imperial decree, the sale or liberation of war captives was forbidden until the establishment of the new order, except for select individuals freed as a gesture of goodwill. Throughout this period, extensive efforts were made in Cyprus and Constantinople to rescue Cypriot captives. Constantinople notably harbored a significant number of these captives, leading the Venetian bailo to clandestinely broker their rescue. However, following the Battle of Lepanto, the capture of Ottoman soldiers by Christian forces added complexity to the situation. Subsequently, as peace negotiations prolonged, these covert operations began to unravel under Ottoman authorities' scrutiny.
Conducting such operations within the capital, especially in peacetime, proved neither necessary nor profitable. An economy of ransom thrived away from the capital, free from taxation. Despite the risks, the bailo engaged in these endeavors both to safeguard the Republic’s subjects and in response to encouragement from the Christian world. From May 1571 to March 1572, amid ongoing warfare, a total of 81 liberation certificates were issued for Latin Europeans in the Galata court. The transparency of these operations owes to Sharia records and the Ottoman Imperial Court Records, which readily tracked these activities. The paper's focus lies in examining the evolution of distinct ransom operations within the Ottoman capital, drawing from records within the Ottoman Archives and supporting documentation preserved in Italian Archives.
Early Modern Ottoman Studies [EMOS] – Conference I (12-15 July 2023), 2023
Greetings Halit Serkan Simen (EUI, Fiesole) Servants of the supreme state: Depictions of politica... more Greetings Halit Serkan Simen (EUI, Fiesole) Servants of the supreme state: Depictions of political slavery in Ottoman documents Benedetta Chizzolini (LMU, Munich) "Poco importando che ivi si dica schiavo o forzato": On the status of convict and slave on Italian galleys
This dissertation is about the transformation of the legal, economic and social status of capti... more This dissertation is about the transformation of the legal, economic and social status of captives taken during the wars between the Ottomans and Venetians. It also covers how the events between 1560-1590 affected both countries' and the Mediterranean's history. This study argues that the political, military, and economic interaction between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire profoundly affected the history of slavery in the Mediterranean. This dissertation focuses mainly on these two states. The changes in the status of war captives and slaves through the years were studied, along with the changes caused by the establishment of Ottoman domination in the region. After the emergence of the Ottomans, a regional power, it took a long time for the Venetian Republic, a European state with active commercial operations both in the Eastern
In this dissertation, Prisoners of War as unfree and forced labor power, their existence in Early... more In this dissertation, Prisoners of War as unfree and forced labor power, their existence in Early Modern Age Ottoman Istanbul and the society was researched by the help of the documents in Ottoman Achieves.
DergiPark (Istanbul University), Sep 1, 2010
El-hâsıl cemi İstanbul'u Sultan Mehmed Han yapıp, bir vechile mamur etti-kim, "etraf-ı âlemde anı... more El-hâsıl cemi İstanbul'u Sultan Mehmed Han yapıp, bir vechile mamur etti-kim, "etraf-ı âlemde anın misli şehir yoktur" diye seyyahlar şehadet ederler. 1 Neşrî Giriş Yerine İstanbul modern zamanlara kadar, Roma ve Kudüs gibi, yüzyıllarca insanlığın çekim merkezlerinden biri olagelmiştir. Bazen varılacak nihai nokta bazen de kısa süreliğine uğranan bir yer olarak, çeşitli amaçlarla yola çıkıp hatıralarını kaleme alan seyyahların anlatılarına konu olmuştur. Şehrin gözlemlenmesi ve bu gözlemlerin kaydedilmesi, en eski tarihlere kadar uzanan bir uğraştır. Philip Mansel'in de dediği gibi "Konstantiniyye, istisnai uzunlukta bir tarihsel belleğe sahip olan bir şehirdir". 2 Bu çalışmamızda tarih boyunca çeşitli sebeplerle İstanbul'u görme şansına erişip anılarını kaleme alan seyyahları ve böylelikle İstanbul tarihine katkı sağlayan seyahatnameleri ve seyahatnameler etrafında hazırlanmış çalışmaları incelemeyi deneyeceğiz.
Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies of the University of London, Dec 1, 2021
Until recently, slavery studies had been dominated by the field of Atlantic and ancient era slave... more Until recently, slavery studies had been dominated by the field of Atlantic and ancient era slavery. Other regions and eras had mostly been neglected. However, slavery existed in nearly every society in different parts of the world, in accordance with geographical, cultural, and economic circumstances; it changed its form throughout the ages until it was finally abolished officially, although different ‘hidden forms of slavery’ nevertheless continue in the contemporary world. The very institution of slavery exists here and now. The medieval and the early modern Mediterranean world was no exception. The Ottoman empire was one of those societies that employed slave labour effectively in its workforce. The Ottomans inherited slavery as a form of forced labour from eastern Mediterranean societies and reformulated it according to Islamic law and tradition.
Türkiye Araştırmaları Literatür Dergisi, Sep 1, 2010
El-hâsıl cemi İstanbul'u Sultan Mehmed Han yapıp, bir vechile mamur etti-kim, "etraf-ı âlemde anı... more El-hâsıl cemi İstanbul'u Sultan Mehmed Han yapıp, bir vechile mamur etti-kim, "etraf-ı âlemde anın misli şehir yoktur" diye seyyahlar şehadet ederler. 1 Neşrî Giriş Yerine İstanbul modern zamanlara kadar, Roma ve Kudüs gibi, yüzyıllarca insanlığın çekim merkezlerinden biri olagelmiştir. Bazen varılacak nihai nokta bazen de kısa süreliğine uğranan bir yer olarak, çeşitli amaçlarla yola çıkıp hatıralarını kaleme alan seyyahların anlatılarına konu olmuştur. Şehrin gözlemlenmesi ve bu gözlemlerin kaydedilmesi, en eski tarihlere kadar uzanan bir uğraştır. Philip Mansel'in de dediği gibi "Konstantiniyye, istisnai uzunlukta bir tarihsel belleğe sahip olan bir şehirdir". 2 Bu çalışmamızda tarih boyunca çeşitli sebeplerle İstanbul'u görme şansına erişip anılarını kaleme alan seyyahları ve böylelikle İstanbul tarihine katkı sağlayan seyahatnameleri ve seyahatnameler etrafında hazırlanmış çalışmaları incelemeyi deneyeceğiz.
Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies, 2021
Until recently, slavery studies had been dominated by the field of Atlantic and ancient era slave... more Until recently, slavery studies had been dominated by the field of Atlantic and ancient era slavery. Other regions and eras had mostly been neglected. However, slavery existed in nearly every society in different parts of the world, in accordance with geographical, cultural, and economic circumstances; it changed its form throughout the ages until it was finally abolished officially, although different ‘hidden forms of slavery’ nevertheless continue in the contemporary world. The very institution of slavery exists here and now. The medieval and the early modern Mediterranean world was no exception. The Ottoman empire was one of those societies that employed slave labour effectively in its workforce. The Ottomans inherited slavery as a form of forced labour from eastern Mediterranean societies and reformulated it according to Islamic law and tradition.
Türk-İtalyan Müşterek Harp Tarihi Sempozyumu 21-22 Ekim 2019 Milli Savunma Bakanlığı, Milli Savun... more Türk-İtalyan Müşterek Harp Tarihi Sempozyumu
21-22 Ekim 2019
Milli Savunma Bakanlığı, Milli Savunma Üniversitesi, Türk Tarih Kurumu, İstanbul.
2. Uluslararası Hacı Bektaş Veli Hoşgörü Ve Barış Sempozyumu 08-10 Ekim 2015 "Yaşadığımız coğ... more 2. Uluslararası Hacı Bektaş Veli Hoşgörü Ve Barış Sempozyumu 08-10 Ekim 2015
"Yaşadığımız coğrafyanın en kadim ve güçlü inanç guruplarından biri olan Bektaşiliğin ibadet ve mekân ilişkisi çalışmanın ana omurgasını oluşturmaktadır. Fuat Köprülü tarafından sınıfsal ve sosyal farklılıklar gözetilerek yapılan Şehir ve Köy Bektaşiliği tanımlaması çalışmanın içeriğini belirlemekte kullanılan önemli bir referans olmuştur.
Buradaki çalışma Köy ve Şehir Bektaşiliğinin ibadet ve ayinlerinin mekânsal birimleri olan Serçeşme, Ocak, Ev, Cemevi, Tekke ve Kültür merkezleri tarihi süreç(Osmanlılardan günümüze) ve coğrafya ilişkileri bağlamında değerlendirilmesidir. Köy ve Şehir Bektaşiliği esasında yapılan tasnifte Anadolu ve Rumeli coğrafyasında inşa edilmiş günümüzde işlevini devam ettiren, fonksiyon değiştirmiş yada sadece belgelerle haberdar olduğumuz günümüze ulaşamamış mekanlar değerlendirilecektir.
Son yıllarda İstanbul başta olmak üzere Anadolu’nun birçok ilinde Cemevi proje tasarım yarışmaları düzenlenmekte ve birçok mimar ve tasarımcı bu organizasyonlara katılım sağlamaktadır. Yapılan bu çalışmanın günümüz Bektaşi ibadet mekanları ile ilgili önemli bir veri tabanına dönüşmesi ve uzun soluklu bir çalışmaya altyapı oluşturması düşünülmektedir."
İstanbul’un Kitabı
History of Mahmutpaşa District in Istanbul
Travel books, penned by travelers visiting Istanbul for a variety of reasons can be cited among s... more Travel books, penned by travelers visiting Istanbul for a variety of reasons can be cited among sources illuminating the history of Istanbul. The events recited by the traveler serve to highlight the differences in well accepted knowledge and perceptions in cities and sometimes become the subject of the traveler’s imagination. These books, in the period they were written, mostly served those readers who did not have the means or the courage to travel yet were curious to find out more about the subject city or those diplomats who needed information on other cities for diplomatic purposes. In modern times, travel books have been of interest for both readers with desire to learn more about the city’s past and researchers in various branches of the discipline of history. It is surely important to consult travel books with an awareness of prejudiced or orientalist viewpoints, while trying to better evaluate the political, cultural and economic structures in related studies. Coming to the fore as a sub-branch of memoirs and penned in various forms, travel books describe Istanbul in many different languages. The personal characteristics of most travelers and elements such as their reasons for traveling, their itineraries have obviously determined the context of their observations. The traveling purposes of those travelers arriving at Istanbul via different itineraries are quite different. Ambassadors, merchants, slaves and scientists as well as those starting out just for the purpose of traveling reached the city by sea or by land. Some took the ship from the Mediterranean, Black Sea or the Danube, and some traveled along the land trade route extending into the city. This study will first analyze travel books helpful for urban historiography of Istanbul and then present a selected bibliography.
Dergide yayımlanan yazı, fotoğraf, çizim ve planlardan yasal olarak eser sahipleri sorumludur. Ya... more Dergide yayımlanan yazı, fotoğraf, çizim ve planlardan yasal olarak eser sahipleri sorumludur. Yazılardan kaynak belirterek tam veya özet alıntı yapılabilir. Fotoğraflar izinsiz kullanılamaz.
16. yüzyılın ikinci yarısında hala Venedik Cumhuriyeti’ne ait olan Kıbrıs Adası, Doğu Akdeniz’i... more 16. yüzyılın ikinci yarısında hala Venedik Cumhuriyeti’ne ait olan Kıbrıs Adası, Doğu Akdeniz’i bütünüyle kontrol altına almak isteyen Osmanlı Devleti için hem ekonomik ve askerî açıdan ciddi bir mesele haline gelmişti. Venedik yönetimindeki ada Cumhuriyet’in bölgedeki tek deniz üssü olmakla beraber Ortaçağ tipi feodalizmin de uygulandığı son yerlerden biri idi. Adada iki büyük ve kuvvetli kale şehir olan Lefkoşa ve Mağusa’nın fiziki şartlarını çok iyi bilen Osmanlı Devleti, kuşatmanın uzun süreceğini öngörerek detaylı hazırlıklar sonucunda Kıbrıs Seferi’ni başlatmıştı.
Deniz yolundan gelebilecek yardımların kesilmesi, kara ordusunun tamamıyla başka bir devletin yönetimindeki adaya çıkarılması gibi kendine has ön hazırlıkları olan adanın kuşatılmasına, istihkamın en zayıf olduğu güneydoğudan başlanmıştır. Haziran 1570 tarihinde başlayan adanın kuşatması Ağustos 1571 yılında tamamlanmıştır. Kara şehri olan Lefkoşa’nın kuşatması 7 haftada tamamlandı. Bu bildiride, Lefkoşa kuşatmasının Kıbrıs Seferi içinde arz ettiği önem, Osmanlı Devleti’nin bu kuşatmaları icra etmeden önce yaptığı idari ve lojistik hazırlıklar ve kuşatmanın icrası incelecektir.
Osmanlı Devleti’nin sefer organizasyonu, Venedik Cumhuriyeti’nin aldığı önlemler, uzayan sefer sırasında çıkan sıkıntılar, teknoloji transferi izleri ve başarılı geçen kuşatmalar sonrası yaşananlar da çalışmada incelenecektir. Sadece Osmanlı Devleti ve Venedik Cumhuriyeti’nin değil tüm Avrupa Devletleri’nin gündemini işgal eden ve sonuçları ile pek çok devlete askeri ve ekonomik etkisi olan Kıbrıs Seferi’nin bu yönlerine de yer verilecektir.
In the second half of the 16th century, Cyprus, still under the rule of the Republic of Venice, had become a serious issue for the Ottoman Empire, which sought to control the Eastern Mediterranean economically and militarily completely. Under Venetian rule, the island was the Republic's only naval base in the region and one of the last places where medieval feudalism was practiced.
Knowing well the physical conditions of the two major and powerful fortress cities on the island, Nicosia and Famagusta, the Ottoman Empire launched the Cyprus Campaign after detailed preparations, anticipating a prolonged siege. With its unique preparations, including cutting off sea routes for potential reinforcements and landing an army on an island under the control of another state, the siege of the island began from the weakest point in fortifications, the southeast. The siege of the island, which began in June 1570, was completed in August 1571. The siege of Nicosia was completed in 7 weeks. This paper will examine the importance of the siege of Nicosia within the context of the Cyprus Campaign, the administrative and logistical preparations made by the Ottoman Empire before these sieges, and the conduct of the sieges.
The study will also explore the Ottoman Empire's campaign organization, the measures taken by the Republic of Venice, the difficulties encountered during the prolonged campaign, traces of technology transfer, and the aftermath of the fall of the fortresses. Additionally, it will address the aspects of the Cyprus Campaign, a major event at the time, not only for the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice but also for all European states, with its military and economic impacts on many countries.
The panel focuses on the slave redemption operations at the borders of the Ottoman Empire, drawin... more The panel focuses on the slave redemption operations at the borders of the Ottoman Empire, drawing from Ottoman and Italian texts. While details of these operations are present in archival texts, they have not been extensively researched. The panel will present data on operations in Istanbul, Crimea, and North Africa. Participants, whose primary research focus is slavery, will examine the redemption system in these concentrated regions. The chair of the panel will be Suraiya Faroqhi. The first presentation, titled 'Nexus of Religious Dependency and Kefâret as Catalysts for Slave Liberation in the Early Modern Crimean Khanate,' delves into the complex dynamics of slave manumission. It explores both the religiously motivated voluntary acts and the compulsory practices within Islamic societies, specifically focusing on the eighteenth-century Crimean Khanate. The second presentation, titled 'Dealing with Infidels: Instructions on How to Conduct a Ransom Mission (16th-19th centuries),' will analyze archival evidence of the actual instructions given to redeemers from Sicily and Venice for conducting ransoms in Tunis and Constantinople. The third presentation, titled 'A Sicilian Redemption: An Example of an Ego-Document among the Ottoman Safe-conducts Preserved in the State Archives of Palermo,' involves a paleographical analysis of the documents from the State Archives of Palermo referred to as 'Arciconfraternita della Redenzione dei Cattivi.' This analysis focuses on the lexicon used to convey specific concepts, comparing the lexical tradition of the Christian Mediterranean States and religious institutions with that of the Ottoman Empire. The last presentation, titled 'Forbidden Redemption: The Secret Ransom Operations for War Captives in Istanbul During the War of Cyprus,' will focus on the transformation of idiosyncratic ransom operations in the Ottoman capital.
The War of Cyprus stands as a distinctive chapter in Mediterranean Slavery, showcasing its reasons, processes, and outcomes. Before, during, and after this conflict, the impact extended beyond the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire to encompass societies within the region. The longstanding practices of ransom underwent change, witnessing the emergence of new influential figures.
During the campaign, Nicosia alone witnessed the capture or disappearance of twenty thousand Cypriots. According to imperial decree, the sale or liberation of war captives was forbidden until the establishment of the new order, except for select individuals freed as a gesture of goodwill. Throughout this period, extensive efforts were made in Cyprus and Constantinople to rescue Cypriot captives. Constantinople notably harbored a significant number of these captives, leading the Venetian bailo to clandestinely broker their rescue. However, following the Battle of Lepanto, the capture of Ottoman soldiers by Christian forces added complexity to the situation. Subsequently, as peace negotiations prolonged, these covert operations began to unravel under Ottoman authorities' scrutiny.
Conducting such operations within the capital, especially in peacetime, proved neither necessary nor profitable. An economy of ransom thrived away from the capital, free from taxation. Despite the risks, the bailo engaged in these endeavors both to safeguard the Republic’s subjects and in response to encouragement from the Christian world. From May 1571 to March 1572, amid ongoing warfare, a total of 81 liberation certificates were issued for Latin Europeans in the Galata court. The transparency of these operations owes to Sharia records and the Ottoman Imperial Court Records, which readily tracked these activities. The paper's focus lies in examining the evolution of distinct ransom operations within the Ottoman capital, drawing from records within the Ottoman Archives and supporting documentation preserved in Italian Archives.
Early Modern Ottoman Studies [EMOS] – Conference I (12-15 July 2023), 2023
Greetings Halit Serkan Simen (EUI, Fiesole) Servants of the supreme state: Depictions of politica... more Greetings Halit Serkan Simen (EUI, Fiesole) Servants of the supreme state: Depictions of political slavery in Ottoman documents Benedetta Chizzolini (LMU, Munich) "Poco importando che ivi si dica schiavo o forzato": On the status of convict and slave on Italian galleys
in workshop "Being Everybody's Slaves: Public Slavery in the Ancient and Modern World, Newcastle... more in workshop "Being Everybody's Slaves: Public Slavery in the Ancient and Modern World,
Newcastle upon Tyne, 22nd – 24th March 2018
Boiler House, Newcastle University
World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies Seville, July 16th – 20th 2018
Anadoluda Modern Öncesi Konaklama ve Seyahat Deneyimleri: Tarihsel Degerlendirme ve Bilgiyi Güne ... more Anadoluda Modern Öncesi Konaklama ve Seyahat Deneyimleri: Tarihsel Degerlendirme ve Bilgiyi Güne Aktarma
in Women in Armies in the Early Modern Mediterranean, Cost Action PIMo Workshop, September 4, 202... more in Women in Armies in the Early Modern Mediterranean, Cost Action PIMo Workshop, September 4, 2023, University of Florence, SAGAS Department
Was captivity a contributor to inter-cultural rapprochement or opposition? Besides captivity, wha... more Was captivity a contributor to inter-cultural rapprochement or opposition? Besides captivity, what other mechanisms of constraint characterized Mediterranean exchanges?
The Mediterranean Seminar, Spring 2019 Workshop: Captivity & Ransom
Saturday, 4 May 2019, Brown University