This extensively illustrated survey shows, through an analysis of style, history and religious symbolism, the Ottoman architecture to be a creative art, unique to its cultural background

A History of Ottoman Architecture

Arts & Photography

Goodwin, Godfrey

Architecture

Thames&Hudson

This extensively illustrated survey shows, through an analysis of style, history and religious symbolism, the Ottoman architecture to be a creative art, unique to its cultural background

A history of Ottoman architecture

Moorish Spain (Traveller's architecture guide)

Literature & Fiction

VIKING

The Janissaries

From the 15th to the 16th century, the Janissaries were the scourge of Europe. With their martial music, their muskets and their drilled march, it seemed that no one could withstand them. Their loyalty to their corps was infinite as the Ottomans conquered the Balkans as far as the Danube, and Syria, Egypt and Iraq. They set up semi-independent states along the North African coast and even fought at sea. Their political power was such that even sultans trembled. Who were they? Why were they an elite? Why did they decline and what was their end? These are some of the questions which this book attempts to answer. It is the story of extraordinary personalities in both victory and defeat. This book begins by exploring the origins of the Janissary corps with the careful selection of youths from Christian families in the Balkans. It then introduces the pillars of the Ottoman state which these recruits were to serve. The Ottoman forces are reviewed, followed by a panoramic survey of the victorious years of this elite corps - culminating in the glorious conquest of Hungary and the establishment of the Danube frontier. By the middle of the 16th century discipline among the Janissaries had declined, but the real fault lay with the Sultan and his ministers. The devshirme (levy) system of recruitment faltered and the corps became a refuge for society's misfits. By the end of the 18th century the Janissaries were more interested in trade than in war. Ill-disciplined and arrogant, they turned rulers and ruled against them. Yet their political power was such that it took years of patient and careful planning before they could be supporessed. When their bubble finally burst, a raw army filled the void and matured into the veterans of the Crimean War. Godfrey Godwin is the author of "A History of Ottoman Architecture", "Islamic Spain" and "Sinan: Ottoman Architecture and its Values Today".

History

Middle East

Interlink Pub Group Inc

From the fifteenth to the sixteenth century, the janissaries were the scourge of Europe. With their martial music, their muskets and their drilled march, it seemed that no one could withstand them. Their loyalty to their corps was infinite as the Ottomans conquered the Balkans as far as the Danube, and Syria, Egypt and Iraq. They set up semi-independent states along the North African coast and even fought at sea. Their political power was such that even sultans trembled. Who were they? Why were they an elite? Why did they decline and what was their end? These are some of the questions which this book attempts to answer. It is the story of extraordinary personalities in both victory and defeat. The book begins by exploring the origins of the janissary corps with the careful selection of youths from Christian families in the Balkans. It then introduces the pillars of the Ottoman state which these recruits were to serve. The Ottoman armed forces are reviewed, followed by a panoramic survey of the victorious years of this elite corps--culminating in the glorious conquest of Hungary and the establishment of the Danube frontier. By the middle of the sixteenth century discipline among the janissaries had declined, but the real fault lay with the sultan and his ministers. The devirme (levy) system of recruitment faltered and the corps became a refuge for society's misfits. By the end of the eighteenth century the janissaries were more interested in trade than in war. Ill-disciplined and arrogant, they turned both rulers and the ruled against them. Yet their political power was such that it took years of patient and careful planning before they could be suppressed. When their bubble finally burst, a raw army filled the void and matured into the veterans of the Crimean war.

Al Saqi

This guide to the palace of the Ottoman sultans in Istanbul takes the reader through all the rooms and gardens which are open to the public – and some that are not. It records the changes that the buildings have suffered through fire, earthquakes and the endless fight for space. Treasures, kaftans and furnishings are discussed as is food and drink.We pass through the Middle Gate and leave the horses neighing behind us. We then enter the courts of the sultan, visiting his Harem, his Throne Room or the private gardens and kiosks of his secret world.But above all, the book is about the thousands who lived in the saray and what they did and feared and saw, whether they were viziers, students or women. It is hoped that this will lead to a deeper understanding of this core of Ottoman life and that readers will meet the ghosts of the humblest and the grandest of the multiture: and, not least, that they will imagine the intense silence of the inner courts broken by the caged songbirds and the cry of the peacock.

Topkapi Palace

Saqi Books

In this major contribution to an understanding of the development of Ottoman architecture, Godfrey Goodwin focuses on the work of one of the greatest 16th-century architects, Sinan Abdulmennan, showing how he revolutionized inherited Ottoman building methods―a tradition based on structure―by an awareness of the psychology of space.Until Sinan, Ottoman architecture had been a reading of parts. He broke down the distinct forms that had created a certain rigidity, thus freeing interior space and interior form simultaneously.Underlying his architectural concepts are the mathematical theories and practices of classical Greece. Sinan shared these ideals of proportion and balance with builders in the West―indeed, the author argues that the work of Sinan and that of Bramante and Palladio must be seen as part of the same intellectual revolution.This is not a life of Sinan―very few biographical materials are available. Goodwin nevertheless shows the importance of the architect’s long years in the army and his experience of bridges, siege-works, fortifications, and the behaviour of stone and masonry before he was appointed Royal Architect in 1538.Goodwin bases his analysis on a detailed comparative study of certain of Sinan’s buildings, the supreme example being the imaginative leap represented by the mosque of Selim II at Edirne, second capital of the Ottoman empire.Included are chapters on light and space; the dome, the minaret and the apsidal form; decoration and tiles. The text is illustrate dby photographs, plans and evaluations of many of Sinan’s works ranging from the grandiose Süleymaniye complex in Istanbul to the experimental Kılıç Ali Pasha mosque. Of outstanding interest are the plates by the 19th-century German architect Gurlitt, many of which show features before later restoration.

Sinan: Ottoman Architecture And Its Values Today

Photography & Video

From the fifteenth to the sixteenth century, the janissaries were the scourge of Europe. Their ferocious spirit allowed their masters to extend their conquests from the Danube to the Euphrates. Their power was such that even sultans trembled. But by the end of the eighteenth century, they were more interested in trade than war. Ill-disciplined and arrogant, both rulers and ruled turned against them. Yet their political power was so extensive it took years before they could be suppressed.

The Janissaries (Saqi Essentials)

Asia

Reconstructing the role of women in Ottoman high society and power politics, Godfrey Goodwin brings to life the women who made their marks in a male domain. He examines the laws which governed women’s lives from the harem to the humblest tasks, and contrasts the lives of rural women with those of women in the towns, discussing pivotal events such as courtship, marriage, divorce, and motherhood. This perceptive study culminates in the nineteenth century, exploring the advent of modernity and its impact at a time of imperial decline.

The Private World of Ottoman Women (Saqi Essentials)

This fascinating account by the foremost authority on the Ottoman period draws on a wealth of sources to paint a picture of a little-known world: the life of women during the six centuries of Ottoman rule.Forming the highest strata of society were the princesses and the great ladies who achieved political power, and the author brings to life the great strength of character many of them showed. Much more is recorded about life in the palace than in humble homes, but even here much can be deduced. In the provinces ordinary women endured 600 years of hardship and trouble, raised their children, mourned their dead and, in doing so, developed the courageous personalities that dominate this account.The book also explores clothing and cooking as well as adventurous travelling over surprising distances. Birth, marriage and death, the three great ceremonies in life, are also described. The strange laws affecting slavery are related to their effect on everyday life from the Harem to the humblest tasks.The final chapters of the book move into the nineteenth century in the search for the truth of what it meant to be alive in the final years of the declining Ottoman empire.

The Private World of Ottoman Women

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

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Books by Goodwin, Godfrey

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Goodwin, Godfrey. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

A History of Ottoman Architecture

A history of Ottoman architecture

Moorish Spain (Traveller's architecture guide)

The Janissaries

The Janissaries

Topkapi Palace

Sinan: Ottoman Architecture And Its Values Today

The Janissaries (Saqi Essentials)

The Private World of Ottoman Women (Saqi Essentials)

The Private World of Ottoman Women