The Urban History of the Ottoman Empire in the Nineteenth Century

Abstract

This article demonstrates how architecture and politics concomitantly reflect Jewish history in the Ottoman Empire. Jewish architecture shows concrete cultural entities that may afford us with opportunities to broaden social inquiry and our understanding of history. The study traces Galata Jewry under the Ottoman Empire and deciphers their role in the formation of Galata’s urban texture and ethnic outlook. Additionally, it investigates the Ottoman administrative system and the active role of Galata Jewry in this system, whereby Jews contributed to the urban and economic development of the Empire.