Philip Mansel's new book, Constantinople: City of the World's Desire, 1453-1924 (St. Martin's Press, $35.00), is an excellent narrative account of the capital of the Ottoman Empire from the time of the conquest in 1453 by the forces of Mehmet the Conqueror to the days of the founding of the Turkish republic under Kemal Ataturk.

At right, view of Istanbul as it appeared on an 1851 German map.
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The text gives a strong survey of the glories and disasters of the Ottoman government while ensuring that, though the ruling Ottomans are central to the cultural and political life of the city, the reader sees Constantinople as the pivotal figure in both the book and in Ottoman life.

The author begins his history with the conquest in 1453 by Ottoman forces. Though the city had been a bastion of Orthodox Christianity (and, hence, an enemy of the House of Osman) for centuries, the Turkish Sultan was immediately enamored by this last remnant of the Roman Empire. Intent on making it his new capital, Mehmet threw himself into the task of rebuilding the city and repopulating it with Turks as well as any Greeks he could find.

By the 16th century, under Suleyman the Magnificent, Constantinople was the pre-eminent city of the world. It was inhabited by Greeks, Jews (who, fleeing the tyranny of the Spanish Inquisition, were given refuge and protection by the Ottoman government), Latins, Arabs, Kurds and Armenians.

Mix

Even though the Sultan and his family were Islamic, Orthodox, Latin and Judaic faiths were, for the most part, well accommodated in Ottoman society.

The multi-ethnic and religious mix of people was reflected in the government as well. Even though the Sultans were Turkic in origin, they freely employed Armenians, Jews and Christians in financial and diplomatic govemment posts.

In fact, because of the Ottoman practice of the devshirrne or "blood tax" in the Balkan provinces of the Ottoman Empire (in which young boys were taken from their families, forcibly converted to Islam and educated in special schools to become Court Pages and members of the government) the Ottoman Empire was effectively ruled by its captive subjects.

This mix of nationalities, the author effectively argues, is what sustained the empire and allowed it to exist and retain all the territory it did until its final disintegration after World War I. Subjects of the Ottoman Empire felt themselves to be part of a greater whole and were active, more often than not, in protecting and advancing the interests of the House of Osman and the Sublime Porte.

Even during the rise of nationalistic and ethnic consciousness in the late 1 9th century, the author points out that the majority of Ottoman citizens continued to rally around their Ottoman identity and it was not until the rise of Turkish nationalism under the Young Turks and the final destruction of the empire by Kemal Ataturk's armies that the Ottoman identity was finally eradicated.

However, the author does point out that a strong sense of ethnic identity did still exist and that, in the case of the Greeks who were the original inhabitants of Constantinople, there was a hope that the Muslims would eventually be expelled or converted to Christianity and that the ancient Byzantine Empire (read ancient Rome here) would be resurrected.

Fable

There was a fable that existed (and still does to this day) that the last Byzantine emperor did not die in the defense of the city, but that he magically hid in the stone of the church of Hagia Sophia (Aye Sofia in Turkish) and is waiting for the time when he can come out and rule once more.

This sentiment, however apparent, never resulted in any serious Greek (or other ethnic identity) opposition to the Ottoman government and it was only with the rise of Turkish nationalism that ethnic divisions became a source of concem for Ottoman society.

In this book, thc Napoleonic time period is seen as a time in which French culture and influence began to dominate. France sent many advisers for employment by the Ottoman military who, especially in the field of artillery, contributed greatly to the reforms that were instituted by mid-19th century Sultans.

The French influence in this time period also contributed to the acceptance of Western cultural influences by many citizens, even members of the Imperial household. This was reflected in urban changes to the face of Constantinople.

Streets were given French names and the foreign district of the city rose in social and, later, political prominence. Soon, parties and formal balls abounded in a city that once forbade the consumption of alcohol (although, contrary to popular imagination, foreign women were always allowed to walk unveiled).

This European influence even reached as high as the Sultans, one of whom built an opera house so that he could enjoy Western music. In time, other countries such as England and Russia gained their own influence over Ottoman society and affairs and left their marks on the Tmpenal city

Constantinople: City of the World's Desire is a book worth reading for anyone interested in the history of a truly beautiful city, as well as anyone interested in a narrative view of the Ottoman Empire. The breadth and scope of this subject is covered in such a way that the reader is fully ahsorhcd by the amazing and varied cast of characters that peopled both the city and the empire. For both the expert and thc non-expert alike, this book is a must-read and will not disappoint.