Patrimonialization on the Ruins of Empire

Book excerpt: After the failed Siege of Vienna of 1683, the Ottoman Empire gradually withdrew from Europe. Even so, monumental reminders of its former presence survived across the continent. The contributors to this volume show that the various successor states adopted substantially different approaches towards their Ottoman architectural inheritance. Even within the same countries, different policies appear to have been pursued in different periods, in keeping with differing circumstances. Case studies inquire from diverse vantage points how this heritage has been coped with discursively and materially. Importantly, readers will find that it is almost impossible to disentangle these two levels of action.