Project description

The project studies Ottoman letter-writing from the late sixteenth to the early seventeenth century. Over four years, it examines different types of correspondence, including official and private letters, münşeat collections, invitations, memoranda, and related texts. By comparing letters writtenproduced in different social contexts and registers, the project highlights an understudied genre and sheds light on relationships among Ottoman rulers, scholars, and men of letters.

Project Objectives

• Reconstruct correspondence networks of the period by identifying who wrote to whom and on which topics, thereby illuminating the informal and personal dimensions of Ottoman history.
• Examine the material and practical aspects of letter writing, including drafts, fair copies, page layout, calligraphy, content formation, copying practices, folding techniques, and methods of dispatch.

Expected Outcomes

• Several peer-reviewed articles
• One monograph
• An international workshop and edited volume
• A public exhibition on the material features of early modern Ottoman letters