The book re-evaluates Ottoman art of the early modern period within the Renaissance paradigm. It argues that the Ottomans indeed had a Renaissance at the same time as the Europeans of the West and that, whilst sharing certain characteristics, the Ottomans experience a Renaissance distinct to their European counterparts. In addition to the influences of classical Greece and Rome, Metin Mustafa argues that the Ottomans drew on their Eastern past – their Steppe heritage, Islamic, Timurid and Persian influences, marking a significant divergence with the West. By casting the net wide and clearly demonstrating the vast range of traditions, which inspired the grand cultural phenomenon of the early modern Ottoman period, he uniquely situates the Ottoman Renaissance in a more meaningful historical context. East
and
West were fundamental to the Ottoman mindset and this is what is emphasized in the book.