Dr. John Covel’ın Seyahatnamesine Göre 17. Yüzyıl Sonlarında Osmanlı Toplumu

Abstract

This M.A. thesis aims to examine the West’s view of Ottoman society through a historical analysis that focuses on the travel diaries of John Covel (1638-1722), who had travelled in the Thrace and Bithynia regions at the end of the 17th century, when the commercial and diplomatic relations between the Ottoman Empire and England began to develop in favour of England, thanks to the Levant Company. In this century, many Europeans aimed to visit the Ottoman lands and to carry the information and material and spiritual culture they gathered from these travels to their countries. Appointed as the chaplain to the British Embassy in Istanbul, Dr. John Covel, thanks to his travels to the Thrace and Bithynia regions between 1675-1677, succeeded in obtaining important information about the Greek Orthodox Church, which he was assigned to research. In addition, Dr. John Covel made observations about Ottoman society during these travels and took note of his impressions on many fields such as history, architecture, botany, geography, linguistics, gastronomy, anthropology. One of the most remarkable aspects of the diaries is his detailed analysis of Byzantine and Turkish architecture. In addition to these detailed observations and descriptions, the maps and sketches he drew in his diary cast light on scientific studies. Considering the problems arising from the use of travelogues as a source in the field of history, carrying out a proper analysis of the diaries of Dr. John Covel is aimed at. As a result of these analyses, the information obtained about both the traveler and the Ottoman society in the mentioned period is presented.