Hello all,
I am a writer currently doing research on the Ottoman Empire, with the intent of creating either historical fiction or a historical drama based on Mehmed the Conqueror or, potentially, one of the sultans before him.
I’ve been reading large histories of the Empire up until now and that has been great, but to make the setting come alive I need information on daily life, religion, culture, society, architecture, et al.
What I’m hoping you all could point me to, then, are books and/or other resources detailing the above. I’d prefer sources pertaining to the 14th to 16th centuries but am open to all suggestions.
Thank you for your help.
This certainly is not my direct field of expertise but I may be able to provide some help.
Suraiya Faroqhi did some work on everyday history of the Ottoman Empire. While I am not sure to what detail she wrote on your period at large, her book Subjects of the Sultan must have some useful information for you.
Cemal Kafadar is another important historian in this regard. He has a book in Turkish called Kim Var Imiș Biz Burada Yoğ Iken, which is good. He also has an English article on an Ottoman dervish's diary. Its title is Self and Others. is from the 17th century, but it is very interesting and can still help you, perhaps. I guess I would check his and Faroqhi's google scholar and academia pages too, if any.
Finally, though essentially a textbook, the Cambridge History of Turkey, vol. 2 concerns your period and has a few articles touching upon these issues.
I hope this helps.