Enter, Riding on an Elephant: How to Approach Early Ottoman Edirne

Abstract

Abstract How was the history of early Ottoman Edirne an integral aspect of the early development of the Ottoman Empire? The present study revisits Edirne mainly through the eyes of the late fifteenth-century chronicler Aşıkpaşazade, noting when and how he brings the city into his narrative, who arrived there, and what took place in and around it. It asks how Edirne was seen and experienced by its contemporaries, seeking to retrieve a more nuanced understanding of both the evolving fabric of the city and its imperial role. The close reading of even this single Ottoman source reveals not only Edirne's gradual rise to prominence and pre-eminence, but also suggests that the use of the term “capital” to describe the key cities of the empire can be usefully re-examined and problematized. The resulting insights have implications for the dynastic and spatial interpretation of early Ottoman history.