Book Description

"The Empire in the city deals with the many aspects of change of urban societies in the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire during the period of reforms in the 19th and early 20th centuries. During this period of normative and centralizing state reforms and increasing international exchange, local and global dynamics led to profound social changes. This book therefore focuses on the converging trends of social and architectural interaction: Cities are heterogeneous structures of social organization. Thousands of men and women act daily in this complex system and leave their mark on the many layers the city's appearance. In this sense cities provide a rich source for studies on social transformation. The contributions deal with various aspects of provincial capitals and show how at different levels - society, architecture, urban structures, administration, institutions etc. - late Ottoman times were far from being a period of irreversible decline in Arab provincial capitals. They turn out to be times of vibrant intellectual activity, intense innovation and conscious city planning. Direct European influence played only a very limited part. Much of the impetus for change and transformation came from Istanbul or from the evolving local bourgeoisie. This book tries to bring back the role of local societies into the historiography of the Arab Provinces of the Ottoman Empire."--Cover.