Far from simply being a center of military and economic activity, the Ottoman Empire represented a vivid and flourishing cultural realm. The artefacts and objects that remain from all corners of this vast empire illustrate the real and everyday concerns of its subjects and elites and, with this in mind, Suraiya Farooqi, one of the most distinguished Ottomanists of her generation, has selected 40 of the most revealing, surprising and striking. Each image - reproduced in full color - is deftly linked to the latest historiography, and the social, political and economic implications of her selections are never forgotten. In Farooqi's hands, the objects become ways to learn more about trade, gender and socio-political status and open an enticing window onto the variety and color of everyday life, from the Sultan's court, to the peasantry and slavery. Amongst its faiences and etchings and its sofras and carpets, A Cultural History of the Ottomans is essential reading for all those interested in the Ottoman Empire and its material culture. Farooqi here provides the definitive insight into the luxuriant and varied artefacts of Ottoman world.