Philanthropy in the Form of a Hair Strand: Sacred Relics in Nineteenth-Century Ottoman Lands
Journal: Humanities Commons CORE (Modern Language Association / Columbia University)
Year: 2020

From the last quarter of the eighteenth century, the caliphal status and the legitimacy of the Ottoman sultans were constantly and increasingly challenged. One of the most effective and powerful tools that they utilized in order to strengthen their diminishing image in the eyes of their subjects was the re-appropriation of sacred places, either by extensive restorations or by demolishing and rebuilding them. While this was not an emergent practice, during the tumultuous moments of the long ninet