Culture of the Ottoman Empire

needed. Women not found suitable by the Sultana for the sultan were married of to eligible bachelors from the Ottoman nobility or sent back home. Female servants did all the chores such as serving food and making the beds. Male (sometimes Eunuch) white and black servants did the hard work such as shopping, guarding the palaces and maintaining the gardens, the braziers and candelabras.

The Ottoman Way

The culture that evolved around the court was known as the Ottoman Way. To get a high position in the empire, one must be skilled in the Way. It included knowing both Persian, Arabic and Ottoman Turkish and how to behave in court, in front of the sultan, and on formal and religious occations. The Ottoman Way also used to separate the nobles from the lower classes. Peasants and villagers were called Turks, while nobles were Ottomans. Sometimes though, people would get mad at other and this caused many disputes between the people.

Ottoman Calligraphy and Art

[to be written]

See Arabic calligraphy, Islamic art and external links to Ottoman calligraphy, miniature painting, textiles, portrait painting and manuscript illumination from the Turkish Ministry of Culture.

Ottoman Jewelry and Handicraft

[to be written]

Ottoman Architecture

[to be written]

See these examples of Ottoman Architecture:

• The Topkapi Palace
• The Dolmabahçe Palace
• The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii; also known as the Blue Mosque)
• The Suleiman Mosque (Süleymaniyye Camii)

See also:

• Islamic architecture
• Mosques.
• Sinan, a famous Ottoman architect.