The Environment of 16th-Century Istanbul as Portrayed in Latîfî's Evsâf-ı İstanbul and Beyond

Abstract

As the capital of the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul has been mentioned in literary texts throughout the centuries. Apart from historical works and poems, Latifi's Evs & acirc;f-& imath; & Idot;stanbul is the first standalone literary work that handles nearly every facet of Istanbulite life and lore. Latifi uses his prose not only to compile the wealth of material written on Istanbul into a single work but also to inspire in readers who had never set foot in Istanbul the feeling that they have toured the city's various neighborhoods. Latifi's vivid descriptions enable us to deduce common conceptions of Istanbul in circulation thitherto as well as the author's first-hand experiences in the city. Nevertheless, given the paucity of studies dealing with this work, the narratives and details it offers have not been widely disseminated. In this article, I evaluate Evs & acirc;f-& imath; Istanbul from an environmental vantage point in an endeavor to fill in one aspect of the aforementioned gap. I analyze the material Latifi writes about Istanbul concentrating on the metropolis' geographical location, topography, air and water quality, soil-grown entities, animal habitats, and urban development. I shall further provide supporting evidence and explanatory insights from the works of Latifi's contemporaries as well as historical studies with the intent to discuss the matter over a wider spectrum, thereby drawing attention to the potential usage of literary works as auxiliary sources of inspiration for environmental history studies.