Sultans In Splendour Monarchs Of The Middle East 1869 1945

Louis XIV was a man in pursuit of glory. Not content to be the ruler of a world power, he wanted the power to rule the world. And, for a time, he came tantalizingly close. Philip Mansel’s King of the World is the most comprehensive and up-to-date biography in English of this hypnotic, flawed figure who continues to captivate our attention. This lively work takes Louis outside Versailles and shows the true extent of his global ambitions, with stops in London, Madrid, Constantinople, Bangkok, and beyond. We witness the importance of his alliance with the Spanish crown and his success in securing Spain for his descendants, his enmity with England, and his relations with the rest of Europe, as well as Asia, Africa, and the Americas. We also see the king’s effect on the two great global diasporas of Huguenots and Jacobites, and their influence on him as he failed in his brutal attempts to stop Protestants from leaving France. Along the way, we are enveloped in the splendor of Louis’s court and the fascinating cast of characters who prostrated and plotted within it. King of the World is exceptionally researched, drawing on international archives and incorporating sources who knew the king intimately, including the newly released correspondence of Louis’s second wife, Madame de Maintenon. Mansel’s narrative flair is a perfect match for this grand figure, and he brings the Sun King’s world to vivid life. This is a global biography of a global king, whose power was extensive but also limited by laws and circumstances, and whose interests and ambitions stretched far beyond his homeland. Through it all, we watch Louis XIV progressively turn from a dazzling, attractive young king to a belligerent reactionary who sets France on the path to 1789. It is a convincing and compelling portrait of a man who, three hundred years after his death, still epitomizes the idea of le grand monarque.

Philip Mansel's highly acclaimed history absorbingly charts the interaction between the vibrantly cosmopolitan capital of Constantinople - the city of the world's desire - and its ruling family. In 1453, Mehmed the Conqueror entered Constantinople on a white horse, beginning an Ottoman love affair with the city that lasted until 1924, when the last Caliph hurriedly left on the Orient Express. For almost five centuries Constantinople, with its enormous racial and cultural diversity, was the centre of the dramatic and often depraved story of an extraordinary dynasty.

In this social history of Europe's most famous city during its golden age, Mansel tells the story of the political turbulence, dynamic intrigue, violence in the streets, and the societal wars that took place in upper-class salons. 32 page photo insert.

In Architecture, Power and Religion in Lebanon, Ward Vloeberghs explores Rafiq Hariri’s patronage and his posthumous legacy to demonstrate how religious architecture becomes a site for power struggles in contemporary Beirut. By tracing the 150 year-long history of the Muhammad al-Amin Mosque – Lebanon’s principal Sunni mosque – and the subsequent development of the site as a commemoration venue, this account offers a unique illustration of how architecture, religion and power become discursively and visually entangled. Set in a multi-confessional society marked by social inequalities and political fragmentation, this interdisciplinary study analyses how architectural practice and urban reconfigurations reveal a nascent personality cult, communal mourning, and the consolidation of political territory in relation to constantly shifting circumstances.

Every time gardens welcomed us, we said to them, Aleppo is our aim and you are merely the route.' Al-Mutanabbi Aleppo lies in ruins. Its streets are plunged in darkness, most of its population has fled. But this was once a vibrant world city, where Muslims, Christians and Jews lived and traded together in peace. Few places are as ancient and diverse as Aleppo – one of the oldest, continuously inhabited cities in the world – successively ruled by the Assyrian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Arab, Ottoman and French empires. Under the Ottomans, it became the empire's third largest city, after Constantinople and Cairo. It owed its wealth to its position at the end of the Silk Road, at a crossroads of world trade, where merchants from Venice, Isfahan and Agra gathered in the largest suq in the Middle East. Throughout the region, it was famous for its food and its music. For 400 years British and French consuls and merchants lived in Aleppo; many of their accounts are used here for the first time. In the first history of Aleppo in English, Dr Philip Mansel vividly describes its decline from a pinnacle of cultural and economic power, a poignant testament to a city shattered by Syria's civil war.

The Rough Guide to Turkey is your essential travel guide to this vast and fascinating country. Fully revised and updated, the guide provides unparalleled coverage of everything from Istanbul's nightlife to the cave churches of Cappadocia, with accurate maps, a handy language section and beautiful colour photography throughout. You'll find informed practical advice on what to see and do, from bartering at a bazaar to hiking the Lycian Way, plus honest reviews of the best hotels, bars, clubs, shops and restaurants for all budgets. Expert accounts on hamams, shopping and food and drink give you the day-to-day essentials, whilst a comprehensive history section puts everything into context. The Rough Guide to Turkey's richly illustrated introduction to the country's highlights is complimented by full-colour sections describing outdoor activities, Turkish cuisine and the country's most incredible architectural heritage. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Turkey

Now available in PDF format. The Rough Guide to Turkey is the most comprehensive travel guide to this unique country straddling both Europe and Asia-and bordering countries as diverse as Greece in the west and Iran in the east. Alongside an array of stunning images, you'll find insightful coverage of everything this country offers: from the Mediterranean beaches that play host to nesting turtles to the soaring mountain ranges spangled with Alpine flowers, from legendary ancient sites, such as Troy, to the exotic domed skyline of Byzantine and Ottoman-era Istanbul. You'll also find detailed advice in this book on how to travel through this vast and varied country. Up-to-date descriptions of the best eating and drinking places, hotels, and shops suit all budgets. And city maps help you navigate the fifteen-million-plus metropolis of Istanbul as well as smaller destinations, such as the frontier settlement of Dogubeyazit, in the shadow of biblical Mt. Ararat. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Turkey.