In his own unique style, İlber Ortaylı gives answers to the questions many of us have when trying to understand Turkish history, and its relationship to recent social and political history.
Journey to the Borders of History is a collection of interviews with Prof. Ortaylı, which were originally published in various prestigious magazines and newspapers in Turkey as part of the celebrations of the 700th anniversary of the Ottoman Empire Ortaylı’s extraordinary perspective on history and the Ottomans echoed throughout the interviews, which made this collection interesting enough place it at the top of the bestseller lists for several weeks. The book quickly sold over 20,000 copies.
In this collection, Ortaylı discusses many questions pertinent to anyone interested in modern political history. What is the relationship between the Republic and the Ottoman Empire? Does rejecting its Ottoman past provide any benefit to Turkey? What was the Ottoman experience like as it underwent westernization? What was the last century of the “sick man of Europe” like? Ortaylı discusses Turkish relations with Europe from the Ottoman period up until the present day...