Now that I have a topic for my research paper, it is great time to start thinking about how to narrow it and find sub-topics. This step is not that easy. In fact, the Islamic culture in the Ottoman era is a very vague, and I am a bit confused about what to include. I am still not able to decide about the parts or the themes that my research paper will be about. I hope this period of confusion and puzzlement won't last very long. Nevertheless, I quite sure I want to talk about the Ottoman architecture as a part of the Islamic Culture. I would like to analyze the architecture of some historical monuments in Istanbul including the Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar,...and perhaps compare them with the Byzantine buildings to see the influence of the Christian Byzantine style on the Islamic Ottoman one. Another aspect of culture I would like to include is the behavior of Ottoman people at that time, their traditions, their celebrations...
Today, we went to the library to try to find some resources related to our research topic. This was of great help for me because it enabled me to know about the resources available for my topic. Now I have a realistic view about my topic. I found a book which I think is interesting entitled The Dervish Lodge: Architecture, Art and Sufism in Ottoman Turkey. That's all for today :)

One of the requirements of the Information and Literacy skills course SSK 1212 is to write a research paper by the end of the semester. In order to keep track of the brainstorming of ideas, the data collection, the analysis and all the different phases they have gone through, students were asked to create a Research Blog.
The general theme that our class agreed on is Culture. My teammates and I have decided to look at Culture from the perspective of religions. We want to explore the influence of religions on traditions, arts, lifestyles,...Personally, I will work on the Islamic culture under the Ottoman Empire, while my teammates will focus on the other Abrahamic religions (Judaism and Christianity)
Why did I choose the Ottoman Empire as an illustration of the Islamic culture and not the Umayyad or Abbassid ones? Perhaps it is a subjective choice. Indeed, I have a great admiration for arts and the architecture of the Ottoman Era, and Istanbul has certainly something to do with it.
But most important, I think it is tremendously important to study the Ottoman culture since it lays between two different worlds: the Eastern Islamic and the Western Christian world. What is more, it is well known that under the reign of Ottoman Emperors, the three religions have coexisted. The contact between them has certainly led to an uncomparable diversity.
Throughout the research process, I will try to explore aspects of the Ottoman culture including architecture, tapestry making, language, social life and behavior..., but I will also try to understand its interaction with and the influence of other neighboring cultures.