Istanbul and the Young Ottomans

Istanbul and the Young Ottomans

The German orientalist and diplomat Andreas David Mordtmann devoted a significant part of his intellectual efforts to studies on the history, archaeology, and conditions of the East. He undertook pioneering journeys to various parts of Anatolia, and his observations remain valuable historical documents even today for many remote regions of the peninsula.

During his years in Istanbul in the second half of the nineteenth century, he held several positions, including membership in the commercial court and teaching geography and anthropology at the Mekteb-i Mülkiye. He established close relationships with leading statesmen and developed friendships with some of the most prominent intellectuals of the Tanzimat era. Through these connections, he was able to observe both the Ottoman capital and the empire at close range, taking part in various circles of the period. The result was this work, which records his observations on the political, administrative, military, social, and economic condition of the Ottoman Empire.

Istanbul and the Young Ottomans not only transports readers to the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz—a period marked by the aftermath of the Crimean War, uprisings in the Balkans, deteriorating economic conditions, administrative difficulties, and challenges in the fields of law and education—but also explores the hopes, people, and ideals of a “new” era.

We present the memoirs of Mordtmann, the great Istanbul-based master of German Orientalism, accompanied by Christopher Neumann’s introduction and a farewell tribute written by his students after his death.

Series: History

Dimensions: 13.5 × 21 cm

Page Count: 470

ISBN: 978-625-8437-66-9

Publication Year: February 2023

Translator: Gertraude Habermann-Songu