Edhem Eldem and Enno Maessen on why it isn’t always easy being a historian of Ottoman and Turkish history.
Edhem is Professor of History at Boğaziçi University and International Chair of Ottoman and Turkish Studies at the Collège de France.
In a recent article entitled ‘Rescuing Ottoman History from the Turks‘, Edhem Eldem has argued that Ottoman history has, until very recently, been written either by Turks or with a focus on Turks. For Edhem, this emphasis has come with a heavy ideological burden, yet he is encouraged by the questions now being asked in Ottoman historiography. In this conversation, recorded on 7 July 2023, Edhem salutes these recent developments: micro- and local histories as well as the reconsideration of Ottoman histories through different languages mean that the Ottoman Empire is no longer treated as if it was a monolith. Slowly but surely, we are coming out from under “the very heavy historiography that dominated until now”.
Episode 36 (Part I) – Rescuing Ottoman History
Podcasts are published by TLP for the purpose of encouraging informed debate on the legacies of the events surrounding the Lausanne Conference. The views expressed by participants do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of TLP, its partners, convenors or members.
MAIN IMAGE COURTESY EDHEM ELDEM.
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