ISBN As Night Falls : Eighteenth-Century Ottoman Cities after Dark book History English

In a world that is constantly awake, illuminated and exposed, there is much to gain from looking into the darkness of times past. This fascinating and vivid picture of nocturnal life in Middle Eastern cities shows that the night in the eighteenth-century Ottoman Empire created unique conditions for economic, criminal, political, devotional and leisurely pursuits that were hardly possible during the day. Offering the possibility of livelihood and brotherhood, pleasure and refuge; the darkness allowed confiding, hiding and conspiring - activities which had far-reaching consequences on Ottoman state and society in the early modern period. Instead of dismissing the night as merely a dark corridor between days, As Night Falls demonstrates how fundamental these nocturnal hours have been in shaping the major social, cultural and political processes in the early modern Middle East.

Provides a fascinating and detailed picture of nocturnal life in Middle Eastern cities, as distinct from life in the daylight

Demonstrates how night and darkness have shaped social and political processes in Ottoman cities and societies

In showing the crucial role of darkness in human life, this contributes to current discussions about what it is that is lost with modern-day hyper-illumination