LibraryLinks Fall 2007/Spring2008
Professor Donald Quataert Speaks on Ottoman History
By Jean Root Green
On February 19, “The Ottoman Empire and Why It’s Important in Today’s World” was the topic of a lecture given by BU History Professor Donald Quataert to a standing room only crowd in the Reinhardt Room of the Bartle Library. Dr. Quataert, an expert on the Ottoman Empire, spoke about this amazing empire that stretched across Europe, Asia and Africa and lasted for six centuries under the rule of a single dynasty. The Ottoman state was among the most successful experiments in political organization, offering its subjects toleration and formal acceptance of difference while steadily evolving in form and function. 
Materials from Dr. Quataert’s personal collection of Ottoman artifacts were on display in the Libraries’ Special Collections during the Spring 2008 semester. These included stamps, coins, textiles, maps, and copperware. The exhibit also featured selected materials from Special Collections, including an 1844 map of the Ottoman Empire. A display of materials relating to Turkey and Turkish history and culture from our Libraries’ circulating collections was also on display on the Bartle Library mezzanine.