Worlds apart and interwoven: Orthodox, Syrian and Ottoman cultures in Paul of Aleppo’s memoirs (original) (raw)

The memoirs of Paul, archdeacon of Aleppo, written after travelling to the Muscovite Court in the fund-raising journey of his father Makarios el-Za’im Patriarch of Antioch, provide a unique travel account from a number of perspectives. Despite having received some scholarly attention for his travels in Russia and the Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, Paul's role as a non-Muslim Ottoman traveller of the Ottoman Empire is a topic that remains to be tackled. Analysing Paul's ability to preserve a number of diverse elements in his identity without allowing them to conflict constitutes the broader purpose of this essay. Therefore, a tri-partite approach towards his Orthodox, Syrian and Ottoman identities has been adopted with a particular focus on his Ottoman identity which has often escaped the attention and interest of scholarship on Paul of Aleppo.

Paul of Aleppo

Paul of Aleppo (1627 – 1669) – son of and assistant to the Patriarch of Antioch Macarius. He was accompanied Makarius on his trip (1652 – 1659) in Moldavia, Wallachia, Ukraine and Russia, and left a detailed description of the seen, which is the primary historical source.

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