Jean-Baptiste Vanmour’s “Recueil de cent estampes représentant différentes nations du Levant”: The Visual Construction of the East Through European Eyes

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Explore Jean-Baptiste Vanmour's 1714 "Recueil de cent estampes," a groundbreaking engraving album that shaped European perceptions of the Ottoman world through 100 hand-colored plates of costumes, ceremonies, and ethnic groups.

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Artifact of the Day

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Çengi, Turkish Male Dancer

This engraving depicts the multicultural life and social strata of 18th-century Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The image is part of the renowned...

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An Iconographic Reading in Ottoman Miniature Art: The Portrait of “Mehmed the Conqueror Smelling a Rose” and the Symbolism of the Gül-i Muhammedî

Fatih Sultan Mehmet gul kokluyor

In the portrait of Mehmed the Conqueror by Nakkaş Sinan Bey, does the rose he holds represent Prophet Muhammad or Islamic civilization? An iconographic reading and symbolism analysis.

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Mirasium Podcasts (Turkish)

The Mi‘raj in Art and Music: Sultan Muhammad’s Cosmic Vortex and Beethoven’s Mystical Ascension

Miraj by Sultan Muhammad 1

Explore the mystical Mi‘raj through the eyes of two geniuses: the dizzying golden vortex of Safavid miniaturist Sultan Muhammad and the ecstatic “Chorus of the Dervishes” by Ludwig van Beethoven. A transcultural journey where art and music depict the Prophet’s sacred ascension.

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