As Night Falls
Eighteenth-Century Ottoman Cities after Dark

A fascinating and vivid picture of the perils and promises of nocturnal life in cities in the early modern Middle East.

Avner Wishnitzer (Author)

9781108832144, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 1 July 2021

388 pages
23.4 x 15.8 x 2.6 cm, 0.68 kg

'… a truly remarkable achievement … thanks to Avner Wishnitzer, we now have an excellent account of the most striking events that took place as night fell.' Edhem Eldem, American Historical Review

In a world that is constantly awake, illuminated and exposed, there is much to gain from looking into the darkness of times past. This fascinating and vivid picture of nocturnal life in Middle Eastern cities shows that the night in the eighteenth-century Ottoman Empire created unique conditions for economic, criminal, political, devotional and leisurely pursuits that were hardly possible during the day. Offering the possibility of livelihood and brotherhood, pleasure and refuge; the darkness allowed confiding, hiding and conspiring - activities which had far-reaching consequences on Ottoman state and society in the early modern period. Instead of dismissing the night as merely a dark corridor between days, As Night Falls demonstrates how fundamental these nocturnal hours have been in shaping the major social, cultural and political processes in the early modern Middle East.

Introduction
I. Nocturnal Realities: 1. Disquieting
2. Order Invisible
3. The Urban Subconscious
4. Ambivalence and Ambiguity
5. Manufacturing Light
II. Dark Politics
6. Shining Power
7. Night Battles
Conclusion: Dawn of a New Night?

Subject Areas: Social & cultural history [HBTB], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], Middle Eastern history [HBJF1]