Turks: A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600-1600

dark blue white txt large: Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005. Hardcover. Used: Acceptable. Condition good. DJ. ref ZKVQ This sumptuous catalogue accompanies a spectacular exhibition devoted to the artistic and cultural riches of the Turkic-speaking peoples. Texts by leading scholars trace Turkic history and cultural development, while artefacts ranging from painting, sculpture, textiles, metalwork and ceramics reflect the artistic influences that the Turks assimilated, from their early nomadic wanderings to the glories produced during the reign of Suleyman the Magnificent. The book takes the reader on a breathtaking journey from the eastern border of modern China to the Balkans in the west. Turkic groups adapted to the cultures they encountered - Chinese, Mongol, Arab and Persian - and religions such as Shamanism, Buddhism and the sects of Islam. Chapters deal with the Seljuks of Iran and Anatolia; the mysterious art of Muhammad Siyah Qalam (Muhammad of the Black Pen); the Timurids and Turkman of Iran and Central Asia; and the Ottoman sultans from Mehmet II, who brought an end to the Byzantine empire in 1453, to Suleyman the Magnificent. Illustrated with over 350 works of art drawn principally from the celebrated collections of the Topkapi Saray Museum and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art in Istanbul, as well as from collections across Europe, Russia and the United States, this book is a landmark publication, and essential reading for anyone interested in the turbulent but vivid history of the Turkic-speaking peoples.