Elsine-i Selase

Translation in the Ottoman Empire: Exploring cultural & historical contexts of Arabic, Persian and Turkish (elsine-i selase) shaping Ottoman high culture & literature.

The history of translation culture in the Ottoman Empire: A look behind the scenes

This collection explores the complexities of translation in the Ottoman Empire, examining the intersections of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish (elsine-i s_elas_e) that formed the linguistic backbone of Ottoman high culture and literature. The contributors investigate translation practices, cultural exchange, and power relations that shaped the Ottoman intellectual landscape, covering topics such as literary translations, lexicography, and the evolution of Ottoman Turkish as a lingua franca. Focusing on the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, the articles reveal the intricate web of linguistic, cultural, and historical forces that influenced translation decisions, authorship, and readership in the Ottoman Empire, shedding new light on the dynamics of cross-cultural communication and knowledge transfer in pre-modern Eurasia.