Byzantium, a city built by Greek colonists to Constantinople, the capital of an empire and then Istanbul, Istanbul has seen almost everything. The zenith of civilization to the ruinous city ravaged by war and political chaos; Each time an empire fell; a new one was born from its ruins giving the people another chance at life, and this cycle continued and still continues. This constant struggle brings with it sorrow; sorrow of the loss of loved ones, sorrow of the loss of culture and sorrow of the fall of another empire and hope, hope of a new life, a restart. This feeling is unlike any other, and every citizen of Istanbul, new or old is afflicted by it, no matter which district they belong to, and through Istanbul: Memories and the City, …show more content…
This aspect of Huzun stems from the fact that Istanbul is a city of two worlds, the junction of the east and the west. The two sides of the river are like two sides of a coin, each different than the other, yet part of the same existence. The simultaneous existence of these two great influences has resulted in a unique identity for Istanbul, which incorporates the west with the east, but history has shown time and again, two great powers cannot coexist in complete harmony, and the polar nature of these two cultures caused friction, friction that while gave Istanbul a new identity, also gave Istanbul problems unlike any other which was integral for Huzun as it brought them closer, because only an ‘Istanbullu’ could understand the problems of another ‘Istanbullu’. The people could neither relate to the people of the east, nor the people of west, the city of Istanbul was its own isolated community.
A major origin of Huzun for Orhan Pamuk in Istanbul Memories and the City was the cultural clash that had engulfed the entire city. Slowly, as
The Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughals were all explosive realms. The reason for this paper is to thoroughly analyze the contrasts between these domains.
To put the names “Armenia” and “Turkey” together evokes a wave of grief and anger. Over the years, a very few have challenged the two and strived to bridge the gap between Armenians and Turks. Dink “crossed that bridge to become a symbol of the struggle for human and minority rights, and of the struggle for democracy and European integration” (Cheterian, 16). Hrant Dink was one of whom who challenged the perceptions of the relationship between Armenians and Turks, starting with his discovery of the newspaper Agos, founded in 1996. The newspaper, which was written and published in both Armenian and Turkish, confronted topics about the complexities that existed between both countries over the years and advocated human rights and democratization.
century in which Europeans embarked on extensive overseas expeditions. European nations, such as Portugal, Spain, England, and the Netherlands, participated heavily in global trade and set up many trade colonies and routes. Many people will say that the European’s only reason for exploration was to spread Christianity, obtain gold, and gain glory through their conquests and acquisition of lands. Some people might also say that the Ottomans heavily influenced the Europeans to participate in this period of exploration. Although the goals of “God, gold, and glory” are often associated with the Age of Exploration, the Ottoman Empire had a greater influence on the desire of European states to establish overseas empires and employ mercantilist economy
Sultan Mahmud II and other educated Ottomans with European influence, started one of the largest reform movements in the history of the Ottoman Empire . With the Tanzimat, life in the Ottoman Empire changed significantly, changing the way Ottomans lived. The Ottoman Empire was home to a variety types nationalities, races, religions, and cultures. The Ottomans issued a new policy known as Ottomanism , where they wanted to unite these people under Tanzimat. Some of the results from this policy was the creation of a national anthem
One of the basic themes of the book is that the thought and the art of classical Athens is full of meaning for people of later generations. It is the full of meaning for nations, cultures and societies beset by broad-scale and profound social and political change and the accompanying confusion and fear produced in the minds and souls of human beings.
The Turkish letters date back to 1555-1562, and is referencing the Ottoman empire’s progression to the throne. During this time, the state building of the Ottoman empire was increasing and expanding immensely, due to Suleiman’s rule. Suleiman led the golden age of the Ottoman empire during his rule. The text displays the interactions of the Sultan’s laws and encounters among the people. The text explains that the Sultan’s hall was crowded with many people, and the Janissaries were in charge of protecting him. The event that was taking place was an assembly discussing about the Turkish Monarchs going to war, and the fear of Persia impacting the Ottoman empire. This source represents the time period because while the Janissaries were going to war, people were also worried about the
One of the most important events of the history was European expansion into the new world. Traditional Feudal societies collapsed under the weight of demographic and political changes during Eurasia experienced Mongol expansion and Black death. There was sociopolitical and religious conflict between states and reconsideration of traditional knowledge and institution. The social and intellectual revolutions in Europe can be considered provocative and subversive. Revolutions in the European society encouraged each other incrementally rather than remaining isolated and produced systematic and lasting changes in the European society.
There are no marble arches and no lighthouses. The river has dried up with the memory of the empire and the bones of a dead leader have long since turned to dust. Colossal galleons and crowds to greet victorious soldiers are no longer even a memory in the minds of those alive today, simply words on paper in books gathering dust in the darkest corner of a room. There is no-one to remember the beauty of the vast city; no-one to describe the sight of the lighthouses and no-one to recall the crisp aroma of the once majestic river. All that remains are the few paintings and statues that did not dissolve with time. The dust of the bones of men, women and children long since dead has faded from existence. There is no-one left to remember the man selling wares in the street or the woman grieving over the soldier she loved. Nobody holds the memory of the child playing in the park or the servant bringing a pitcher of water to his master. The meaning behind the statue has faded from everyone’s mind. The man, whose wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command secured his victory in every battle he fought, has dissolved into nothing more than a story in a book.
Gardner, Helen, and Fred S. Kleiner. "Byzantium." The Middle Ages, 14th ed., Boston, Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2013, pp. 255-82. 4 vols.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a graphic memoir that reveals the life of a woman growing up in pre and post Iran, as well as her experiences in Western countries. In this book, Marjane utilizes historical events that affect her life during her upbringing in Iran. These include the oppression of the Shah, as well as the rise and effects of the regime. These events’ integration into the story showcase how they affect Marjane and the other citizens of her country. Additionally, these events are important for the context and understanding that they grant readers unfamiliar with the text.
His description of the inclusion of sport, schools, public baths, markets, soup kitchens and places for travellers within the courtyard of the mosque to stay reveals that Istanbul was tolerant of outsiders and truly was the jewel of the Ottoman empire . This description of the Süleymaniye Mosque, while not outright describing the people of the main city of Istanbul, reveals the pride that Çelebi has for Istanbul.
So when Mustafa Kamal (Ataturk) began to form a Turkish nation state, it was not clear what constituted a Turk but soon, Kurds were considered as Turks and a policy aiming at the detribalization and assimilation of the Kurds was adopted… The Turkish government's pursuit of full assimilation has led to the proscription of publications of any book, newspaper, or other material in the Kurdish language. Moreover, there has also been an instance of arrests of entertainers for singing songs or performing in Kurdish.
Taking place in the late 1970’s, Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” exemplifies a profound illustration of the county of Iran, including aspects of its people and political structure. Unlike a conventional composed novel, the story of Persepolis is expressed through both textual and visual representation; otherwise known as a graphic novel. Through the experiences of the ten-year old character Marjane, the reader is exposed to historical events, movements, crises, and motives that occurred within Iran. Furthermore, the novel has gained much praise in its portrayal of emotions that occurred through the people of Iran. Although there has been tremendous support of the account of Marjane, there have been a few critics of the novel, attacking its overall literary value. For instance, New York’s Ithaca College student paper called The Ithacan, slammed the role Persepolis had on the literary society. In fact, they went as far to say that the novel “...is worth broaching but its literary value, in terms of building vocabulary and furthering comprehension, falls short.” An absurd statement, to say the least. Not only is Persepolis of literary value, it is a glimpse into the past. It allows the reader to understand the various conflicts that the people of Iran were facing. Through the account of Marjane, the audience is exposed to elements of Iranian history, gender roles, religion, and political fluctuation.
Throughout history, the middle east has often been the focus of news reporters. A middle eastern country that has not been exempt from this, is Turkey. Turkey has not only been a focus, but it also has had a very long, complicated history.
This illusory book entitled “invisible cities” was published in Italy in 1972, written by a very famous Italian prose writer of the postwar era, Italo Calvino. This book highlights a historical memoir of a well-known Venetian explorer named Marco Polo but focuses around a specific dialogue and a series of stories shared between Kublai Khan, emperor of Mongolia, and his right-hand man Polo in the late 1200’s. This concept of writing emphasizes the aspects of humanity and social consequences in generic city makeup and the way we become trapped in the metaphorical “inferno of living”.