Gece Çökerken: Osmanlı'da Gece Hayatı

When we turn into the secluded streets of the Ottoman Empire, who do we not see on the street? The janissaries who are preparing to revolt, the thieves, the stray dogs, the regulars of the clans? Those walking on the street at night could remain out of sight under the curtain of darkness, but what about out of ear?
In the night when the sultan could only have the possibility of a sound sleep, another Ottoman order was established, avoiding the evil eye of artificial lights and the collective gaze. This was another world that everyone knew about but remained silent, only wandering around in the dark. The power and acceptability of the day would give way to the balance of the night, hierarchies would change, the freedom of being out of sight would come together with the fear of not being able to see. Only those on the streets could determine the possibility of sound sleep.
In the Ottoman cities of the 18th century, especially in Istanbul, darkness, shadow and light were invisible but felt boundaries that determined different power relations, ways of existence and daily life. Being seen or not being seen could be a luxury or a danger, depending on the class you belonged to. The author of this book shows us how these two possibilities change depending on the context, from the sultan to the street vagabond, from the sanctuary of the neighborhood sleeping soundly at home to the residents of bachelor rooms. Moreover, it "sheds light" on the dark experiences of different social groups with various archival sources and rich literary texts.