THE PLAYS BANNED BY SULTAN ABDULHAMID IN EUROPE

Sultan Abdulhamid II, upon learning that a play against Islam would be performed in Paris, immediately attempted to prevent it through the Embassy in Paris.
13 Mart 2024 Çarşamba

WHAT WAS THE MISTAKE OF THE UMAYYADS?

Iranian historian of science, Shia Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr says: "Umayyad caliphs should not be equated with modern tyrants in Muslim countries. While these [modern tyrants] strive to destroy religion itself, Islam was being implemented during the Umayyad period."
6 Mart 2024 Çarşamba

UNRAVELING THE UMAYYAD PERIOD: TRIUMPHS, TRAGEDIES, AND TRUTHS

Renowned for his poetry mocking the Umayyads, Ibn Qays al-Ruqayyat says, "Some people dislike the Umayyads because, when angered, they show restraint. "
28 Şubat 2024 Çarşamba

OTTOMAN PENAL CODE AND HOMOSEXUALITY

Some groups occasionally like to discuss deviations in Ottoman society. Mentioning something in the sources does not indicate its prevalence; it may indicate the opposite.
21 Şubat 2024 Çarşamba

WHAT IS LAICISM? WHAT IS IT NOT?

Laicism is neither a prerequisite for democracy nor for human rights. Indeed, there are countries like the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Sweden where democracy and human rights function excellently without being laical.
14 Şubat 2024 Çarşamba

AS IT IS INTERPRETED, SO SHALL THE DREAM UNFOLD!

A dream, until interpreted, remains tied to a bird's foot. Once interpreted, it becomes manifest!
7 Şubat 2024 Çarşamba

IF DREAMS COME TRUE…

Heraclitus of Ephesus says: "While awake, there is one world for everyone. In dreams, everyone returns to their own realm."
31 Ocak 2024 Çarşamba

THE MODERN ALLURE OF MONARCHY: TRADITION AND STABILITY

There are still countries in the world where the traditions of shining monarchies prevail. These countries are among the most stable, and their democracies function most efficiently.
24 Ocak 2024 Çarşamba

AN OVERNIGHT REPUBLIC!

"Calling someone in the Ottoman Empire a republican was like calling them an infidel at that time, akin to calling them a communist today." (Falih Rıfkı)
17 Ocak 2024 Çarşamba

RESEMBLING NON-MUSLIMS IN HISTORY AND NEW YEAR'S EVE

As New Year approaches, the issue becomes relevant once again. There's a saying, "The crow envied the partridge, couldn't imitate it, and even forgot its own way of walking." Where does the limit of trying to be like someone else begin and end?
10 Ocak 2024 Çarşamba

OTTOMAN FACTORIES: A HISTORICAL REEVALUATION OF INDUSTRIAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Many elites in the 19th century believed that industry was unnecessary, even wasteful. However, the Ottoman government did not heed this belief.
3 Ocak 2024 Çarşamba

"I AM THE GOVERNOR, NOT A BANDIT!" HOW DID THE OTTOMANS CONFRONT THE ARMENIAN ISSUE?

The sufferings of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 have become a worldwide propaganda issue, due to a powerful diaspora.
27 Aralık 2023 Çarşamba

THE OTTOMAN DYNASTY AND PIETY

The Ottoman dynasty led a life deeply connected to religion and traditions within the seriousness of a madrasa and the solemnity of a Sufi lodge. In history, no other Muslim dynasty can be compared to the Ottoman palace in this regard.
20 Aralık 2023 Çarşamba

WARDING OFF THE EVIL EYE

It is believed in popular culture that looking at something beautiful with admiration or envy can attract the evil eye and cause harm. Precautions are taken to ward off this.
13 Aralık 2023 Çarşamba

BETWEEN LEGEND AND REALITY: NASREDDIN HODJA

Many of the anecdotes attributed to Nasreddin Hodja today do not belong to him, and his historical identity is shrouded in shadows.
6 Aralık 2023 Çarşamba

THE STUDENT OATH AND TURKISH NATIONALISM

Influenced by fascist ideas in Europe, Turkism began to be understood not as nationalism but as racism.
29 Kasım 2023 Çarşamba

HOW DID THE OTTOMAN DYNASTY SURVIVE IN EXILE?

Members of the Ottoman dynasty who were sent into exile quickly fell into great hardship. Those who sought to extend a helping hand to them encountered another obstacle.
22 Kasım 2023 Çarşamba

THERE USED TO BE PURDAH…

In the past, there were designated sections for women on trams, ferries, in theaters, and tea gardens. Men were not allowed to step into these areas.
15 Kasım 2023 Çarşamba

IS TURKEY THE CONTINUATION OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE?

Turkey is one of the nation-states, some small and some large, established on the remnants of the empire with the remaining materials. The nation-state and the empire belong to very different worlds.
8 Kasım 2023 Çarşamba

IS IT TOO EARLY TO TALK ABOUT THE FRENCH REVOLUTION?

The revolution did not arise out of a love for liberty or a desire to save humanity. Above all, it was a struggle for power, an act of greed.
1 Kasım 2023 Çarşamba

ISTANBUL, NOT CONSTANTINOPLE

Starting from the year 1930, it was announced that letters from abroad with "Constantinople" written as the city name would be returned.
25 Ekim 2023 Çarşamba

OH, JERUSALEM! OH, PALESTINE!

The first Qibla of Islam, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is also considered the third holiest place of worship by Muslims. The Dome of the Rock, with its gleaming golden dome, remains a symbol of Jerusalem even today.
18 Ekim 2023 Çarşamba

THE LESSON LEARNED FROM THE "WARNING STONE": THE STORY OF CRIME AND PUNISHMENT IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Foreign travelers who have never set foot in the Ottoman lands filled their books with fictitious punishments and torture descriptions, solely to fuel the fear of Turks.
11 Ekim 2023 Çarşamba

IN EASTERN CULTURES, POLYGAMY - MARRIAGE WITH MULTIPLE WIVES

Islam has made polygamy conditional on justice, and due to the scarcity of 'just men' who could fulfill this condition, it has recommended contentment with one wife.
4 Ekim 2023 Çarşamba

THE GRAVEDIGGERS OF THE OTTOMAN EMPİRE: THE YOUNG TURKS

It has been more than a century since they took power. They became the gravediggers of a vast empire. Nevertheless, their traces and voices have not diminished. An epic should be written about this success.
27 Eylül 2023 Çarşamba

THE ROOTS OF EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION IN THE EAST

Europeans became acquainted with the East through the Crusades. They not only discovered its treasures but also its culture and civilization. Inspired by this, they illuminated the Middle Ages. What happened next?
20 Eylül 2023 Çarşamba

A PECULIAR COMMUNITY IN ANATOLIA: PAULICIANS

The Paulician movement, which emerged in Anatolia in the 7th century and is considered a precursor to Protestantism, played a significant role in the spread of Islam in Anatolia and the Balkans.
13 Eylül 2023 Çarşamba

DEMOCRACY IN ISLAM AND THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

The use of the terms ‘Islam and Democracy' or ‘Ottoman and Democracy' together is a surprise for most people, but in reality, the Ottomans encounter with democracy dates back to the 1840s, long before its European counterparts
6 Eylül 2023 Çarşamba

THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA WAS NOT BURNED BY MUSLIMS

You may have heard the story that the Muslims burned down the Library of Alexandria. Perhaps you believed it without needing to research. Is this truth?
30 Ağustos 2023 Çarşamba

A GENTLEMEN'S CLUB IN MEDIEVAL MECCA: HILF AL-FUDUL

In the year 590, in Mecca, a group of noble men took an oath to stand against injustice and protect the oppressed. At that time, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in his early twenties, also participated in this alliance.
23 Ağustos 2023 Çarşamba