Entertainment spaces, genres, and repertoires in ottoman musical life

In the Ottoman Empire, entertainment was organized in such a way that events would include a number of performances intended for a number of occasions and performed in a variety of spaces. As the centre of the Ottoman administration from the fifteenth century on, Istanbul had also become the centre of entertainment. Prior to the fifteenth century, similar types of entertainment existed in different imperial centers. However, starting in the early sixteenth century, new cultural spaces and relationships emerged as a result of Istanbul’s economic growth and affected the city’s entertainment practices, which now reflected the increasing interactions of the Empire with its neighbours.