Books
30 Best Novels About the Ottoman Empire
Bestselling authors first, then star rating.
Period
Ottoman Empire
1299–1922 CE
The Ottoman Empire rose from a frontier principality in Anatolia into a major empire spanning southeastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. It controlled Constantinople after 1453 and governed diverse peoples through dynastic, military, religious and administrative systems. Its long history includes conquest, court politics, reform, decline and survival.
It mattered because it shaped Europe, the Middle East and the Mediterranean for centuries. Ottoman history connects crusading frontiers, Balkan politics, Islamic governance, trade, diplomacy and imperial reform. It is a strong setting for novels about Istanbul, janissaries, diplomats, merchants, spies, minorities and court intrigue.
Ottoman-set fiction ranges from court intrigue and frontier warfare to detective fiction and imperial decline. Jason Goodwin's Yashim series is the clearest series hook, while Elif Shafak, Orhan Pamuk, Dorothy Dunnett and novels about Byzantium, the Balkans and the eastern Mediterranean can connect to Ottoman settings. These pages are useful for books about Istanbul, janissaries, harems, diplomats, merchants, sieges, minorities and the meeting point of Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Related people for Ottoman Empire
Abdul Hamid II1842–1918 Ahmed I1590–1617 Alexander VI1431–1503 Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington1769–1852 Bertrand du Guesclinc. 1320s–1380 Catherine the Great1729-1796 Charles Arbuthnot1767–1850 Charles V1500–1558 Charles V of France1338–1380 Charlotte, Queen of Cyprus1444–1487 David of Trebizond1408–1463 Elizabeth I1533–1603 Galeazzo II Visconti1320–1378 George IV of the United Kingdom1762–1830 Hürrem Sultanc. 1505–1558 Ivan the Terrible1530–1584 James II of Cyprus1438–1473 Jean Parisot de Valette1494–1568 John III Sobieski1629–1696 Juan de Homedes1477–1553 Kara Mustafa Pasha1634–1683 Leonardo da Vinci1452–1519 Mahmud II1785–1839 Marie Casimire Louise de La Grange d’Arquien1641–1716 Marino Grimani1532–1605 Martin Luther1483–1546 Mehmed II1432–1481 Najib Nassar1865–1948 Napoleon1769–1821 Nicholas I of Russia1796–1855 Philip II of Spain1527–1598 Selim II1913–1994 Suleiman the Magnificent1494–1566 Turgut Reis1485–1565 Tusun Pasha1794–1816
