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 :)