Social and cultural life in İstanbul from the eye of German travelers (1808-1918)

From the beginning of the 19th century, Ottoman Empire started to imitate military order and state structure of the European states more and also has been culturally influenced by Europe. During the same period in Europe, there was also a deep interest to different cultures, so more scientists and travelers have visited to the Ottoman territories by developments in the field of transport. In the 19th century, when cultural interactions were intense, Ottoman-German relations have also developed well. This situation has led to an increased interest in Turkish culture by the Germans and also led to more German people that have visited the Ottoman cities. Some of these people have shared their observations about cities and daily life through their travelogues. Examples of German travelogues, that containing information about the characteristics of Turks and Istanbul, are examined in this thesis. Based on the Istanbul narratives in the travelogues, it was aimed to show how the Turks looked from the eyes of German travelers between the years of 1808-1918. In the introduction and first section, some information and basic concepts were emphasized. In the second section the general view of Istanbul from the eyes of the travelers, in the third section the issues related to the functioning of the state and public relations, in the fourth section the spiritual characteristics and social structure of the Turks, in the fifth section the family and the women were emphasized.