In the Land of Raki: Wine & Alcohol from the Ottoman Empire to Erdogan's Turkey (French edition) by François Georgeon

It is often believed that in land of Islam, thealcohol would have encountered an insurmountable prohibition, settled once and for all by the Quran. However, the story told in In the land of raki demonstrates that reality is much more complex.

François Georgeon, a recognized specialist in the Ottoman Empire, traces the evolution of the consumption and perception of wine, from the Raki and other alcoholic beverages, since the 16th century until the Contemporary Turkey. The book reveals the paradoxes of a society where religious prohibitions coexist with deeply rooted social, cultural, and political practices.

Thus, if the sultan Mahmud II particularly appreciated the champagne, Ottoman society experienced periods of prohibition and liberalization in turn, creating a complex dynamic around the Drinking cultures.

Some seedy taverns of Istanbul to the Secret libations of Sufi brotherhoods, of the vineyards of Thrace and Anatolia to the echoes of the bacchic poetry, This book reveals a discreet yet constant history of alcohol in the Ottoman Empire. Alcohol then becomes much more than just a beverage: it is the mirror of Religious tensions, of the social practices and the political choices that have endured through the centuries.

The work is not limited to the past: the epilogue, written by Nicolas Elias and Jean-François Pérouse, questions the role of drinking in the Erdogan's Turkey, where alcohol, always present, remains at the heart of identity and political issues.

With clear and well-documented writing, François Georgeon delivers a fascinating narrative, enriched with historical and literary sources, that sheds new light on the complex relationships between Islam, society, and alcohol.

An essential book for enthusiasts ofsocial history, of Ottoman culture, but also for those who are interested in the contemporary issues of modern Turkey.

Characteristics

• Title : In the land of raki; wine and alcohol from the Ottoman Empire to Erdogan's Turkey

• Author : François Georgeon

• Editor : CNRS Éditions

• Collection : History

• Publication date March 25, 2021

• Format : Paperback

• Number of pages : 354

• Language : French

• EAN13 : 9782271131201

• ISBN : 978-2-271-13120-1

• Dimensions 23.1 × 15.1 × 2.9 cm

• Weight : 544 g