Research Guides: HIST 196: The Ottoman Empire: Reference Sources

Hint: Reference Sources

If you are unfamiliar with a topic, it is often best to start with a reference book such as a dictionary, encyclopedia, review article or other reference source to gain a basic understanding of your topic as well as terminology used in the field.

Reference sources are typically used to find to find specific pieces of information about people, places, and events; check facts; or obtain a brief overview about a particular subject. Some common sources of information are handbooks, almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, catalogs, etc.

See the subtabs under the Reference Sources tab above to get started.

Reference Sources

Reference sources are typically used to find specific pieces of information about people, places, and events; check facts; or obtain a brief overview about a particular subject. Some common sources of information are handbooks, almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, catalogs, etc.

Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire by Gabor Agoston; Bruce Masters
Call Number: 3 NORTH Tsakopoulos Ref DR 486 .E53 2009
ISBN: 9780816062591
Publication Date: 2008-12-01
"The first encyclopedia on the Ottoman Empire available in English, Encyclopedia ofthe Ottoman Empire is the collaborative effort of 90 experts who contributed more than 400 A-to-Z entries that focus on major events, personalities, institutions, and terms. Further readings, approximately 85 black-and-white photographs and maps, cross-references, a chronology, glossary, bibliography, and an index complement the text and give readers an in-depth understanding of the history of the Ottoman Empire."
Approaching Ottoman History: An Introduction to the Sources by Suraiya Faroqhi
Call Number: 3 NORTH Tsakopoulos Coll DR 486 .F36 1999
ISBN: 9780521661683
Publication Date: 1999-12-09
Available in print and on-line.

"In a state-of-the-art introduction to Ottoman history, Suraiya Faroqhi explores the sources and interprets them for students in the field and in related disciplines. In so doing, she demonstrates how documents were prepared and encourages her readers to adopt a critical approach to their findings."
The Cambridge History of Turkey (4 vols.) by various
Call Number: 3 NORTH Tsakopoulos Ref DR 526 .L38 2006
ISBN: 9780521620932
Publication Date: 2009-03-12
Multi-volume history of Turkey from the pre-Ottoman period to the contemporary period featuring thematic essays.

v. 1. Byzantium to Turkey, 1071-1453 / Edited by Kate Fleet -- v. 2. The Ottoman Empire as a World Power, 1453-1603 / Edited by Suraiya N. Faroqhi and Kate Fleet -- v. 3. The Later Ottoman Empire, 1603-1839 / Edited by Suraiya N. Faroqhi -- v. 4. Turkey in the Modern World / edited by Reşat Kasaba.
Historical Dictionary of Turkey by Metin Heper; Bilge Criss; Nur Bilge Criss
Call Number: 3 NORTH Tsakopoulos Coll DR 436 .H47 2009
ISBN: 9780810860650
Publication Date: 2009-01-21
3rd ed.

"This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Turkey explores the history of this country through a chronology, introductory essay, bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important people, places, events, and institutions, as well as significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects."

Videos

Videos about the Ottoman Empire and its civilization can be an entertaining way to discover an interest to use as the subject of your annotated bibliography.

The Ottoman Empire by Eagle Rock Entertainment
Call Number: Streaming Video
Publication Date: 2005, 1996
The Ottoman Empire, from the sacking of Constantinople to the end of the 16th century, encompassed Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Algeria, Lebanon, Egypt, Spain, and Turkey. This program examines the structure of this empire, from the family to religion and bureaucracy. The role of the powerful doshan, young Christian peasant boys who were abducted and educated to serve the sultan, is also discussed, along with the role of women. Maps and scholarly commentary portray an empire that at its zenith was an infallible military power dedicated to the spread of Islam, but which also tolerated a diverse population and many creeds within its boundaries.
The Ottomans: Europe's Muslim Emperors-Episode 1 by Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Call Number: Streaming
Publication Date: 2014, 2013
The roots of the Ottoman Empire go back to 13th-century Turkic nomads who staked claim to a portion of Anatolia and then, strengthened by mercenaries fleeing the Mongol invasion, began hammering at the walls of Byzantium. In this program Rageh Omaar explains how the Ottomans rose and with extraordinary speed conquered parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, changing history in ways that are still being felt today. Traveling to Greece and Bosnia, Omaar learns that the Fall of Constantinople remains fresh in the collective memory of Orthodox Christians; and finds a geopolitical rationale for current enmity between Sunnis and Shiites in the 1514 Battle of Chaldiran. (Links to Episodes 2-3 will be found under the video box to Episode 1 in Films on Demand)

Last Updated: Feb 28, 2025 6:32 AM