The primary aim of this study is to demonstrate the important historical contribution made by written accounts of Ottoman and European travelers regarding Ottoman musical practices. This article reflects information gleaned from a larger research project that ultimately aims to illuminate the role and usage of various Ottoman-era instruments that have been forgotten in the modern era. Obscured in the vast span of time, these instruments are now historical and cultural artifacts that have been unnecessarily marginalized in our contemporary times. In this study, the musical lives of the Ottomans and their musical instruments are discussed through the perspectives of Ottoman and European travelers, including as Evliya Çelebi, Guillaume Postel, Johannes Lewenklau, Cane, du Loir, d’Ohsson and Julia Pardoe. In addition to the narratives of these travelers, Ottoman miniatures are used as revealing visual resources to identify and categorize forgotten musical instruments. The compelling connection between these two resources may become the first step towards rejuvinating awareness and understanding of the cultural significance of these instruments as colorful pieces in the mosaic of Turkey’s multi-faceted artistic heritage. 

The primary aim of this study is to demonstrate the important historical contribution made by written accounts of Ottoman and European travelers regarding Ottoman musical practices. This article reflects information gleaned from a larger research project that ultimately aims to illuminate the role and usage of various Ottoman-era instruments that have been forgotten in the modern era. Obscured in the vast span of time, these instruments are now historical and cultural artifacts that have been unnecessarily marginalized in our contemporary times. In this study, the musical lives of the Ottomans and their musical instruments are discussed through the perspectives of Ottoman and European travelers, including as Evliya Çelebi, Guillaume Postel, Johannes Lewenklau, Cane, du Loir, d’Ohsson and Julia Pardoe. In addition to the narratives of these travelers, Ottoman miniatures are used as revealing visual resources to identify and categorize forgotten musical instruments. The compelling connection between these two resources may become the first step towards rejuvinating awareness and understanding of the cultural significance of these instruments as colorful pieces in the mosaic of Turkey’s multi-faceted artistic heritage.