Yunus Emre Institute London (YEI) and Thames & Hudson Publishing House organized a book signing and interview with researcher/writer Diana Darke on November 17, 2022 on her new book "Ottomans: A Cultural Legacy" on November 17, 2022

At the event moderated by writer Tharik Hussain at the Yunus Emre Institute London, Darke, who is also an expert on the Middle East, presented a critical approach to unfavorable notions of the Ottoman Empire's rich historical and cultural heritage.

In her speech, Darke explained that the Ottoman Empire established a multicultural empire by uniting people from different regions and ethnic backgrounds under the single common denominator of Ottoman trade and culture.

Darke shared anecdotes from her book with the guests and talked about the Ottoman heritage and the three cities in particular: Bursa, Edirne and Istanbul, which served as the art, architecture, literature, trade, nature and environmentalism, health, religious tolerance and peace capitals of the Ottoman Empire.

Also pointing out the Ottoman Empire's contribution to the world's cultural heritage, Darke underlined that his book is one of the most general and comprehensive studies on this cultural heritage accessible to everyone.

In the closing part of her speech, Darke emphasized that the greatest element of the Ottoman cultural heritage is the unique combination of artistry, great aesthetics and love of nature, which emerged in many fields such as calligraphy, ceramics and weaving arts.

The event ended with a Q&A session and the Darke signing her readers’ copies.

35 YEARS WORKING ON THE MIDDLE EAST

A Middle East specialist, Diana Darke's cultural research focuses on Syria. She studied Arabic at Oxford University and Islamic art and architecture at SOAS University of London.

She has over 35 years of experience specializing in Middle Eastern affairs and has worked in the public and commercial sectors.

"My House in Damascus: An Inside View of the Syrian Crisis", "The Merchant of Syria: A History of Survival" and "The Last Sanctuary in Aleppo" are among her most acclaimed books.

Having received the "2020 Book of the Year" award in three different categories for his book "Stealing from the Saracens: How Islamic Architecture shaped Europe", she published his latest book "Ottomans :A Cultural Legacy" on September 29, 2022.