From a Persian prince to the American “jeweler to the stars,” the world’s largest cut blue diamond has a lengthy history.

AT PENPOINTThe visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Pakistan was not just friendly and fraternal, but it ...

Despite his short reign, he is comfortably one of the most famous of all the Ottoman Sultans. Sultan Selim’s reign saw a huge expansion of the Ottoman Empire, which helped to lay the foundations ...

Al-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the ...

Small entities might once again need to relearn how to hedge between great powers. One forgotten highborn woman from history provides some ancient realist lessons.

The Great Siege of Malta by Marcus Bull upends the myth of the Knights of Malta and their last stand of 1565.

Here’s What You Need To Remember: As a result of Ottoman control, much of the trade between Europe and the Middle East passed through Istanbul or Aleppo, decreasing the importance of..

Since the 15th century, Greece had been ruled by the Ottoman Empire, whose troops had converted the Acropolis into a garrison, and whose sultan, Mehmed II, had turned the Parthenon itself into a ...

On a hill that commands views over Istanbul, the Süleymaniye Mosque is an awe-inspiring testament to Ottoman architectural brilliance and Islamic art. Commissioned by Sultan Suleiman the ...

If you’re looking to understand the different architectural styles and eras of Istanbul, here are five beautiful mosques to visit once you’ve checked the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque off your list ...

Alan Mikhail closes his recent book God’s Shadow (Liveright, 2020, cited as GS), centered on the Ottoman Sultan Selim (r. 1512-20), with a striking anecdote (p. 403). He writes: “In 2005 ...