Visit to Constantinople and Some of the Greek Islands by John Auldjo

In order to analyze a primary source in this case Journal of a Visit to Constantinople and Some of the Greek Islands in the Spring and Summer of 1833, by John Auldjo one must first research the authors and understand his point of view. With one simple internet search one would learn that John Auldjo was a British traveler, geologist, writer and artist. Simple by just reading that line one would find out that John Auldjo was not native member to the Ottoman Empire therefore he had a different perspective of Constantinople then someone who is native to the empire. John Auldjo’s Journal is no doubt a primary source as to what happened in Constantinople during his visit in 1833 but because of the fact that he is not native to the area he should not be the only source to look at to understand life in the Ottoman Empire or even more narrowly life in Constantinople.

When one reads Journal of a Visit to Constantinople and Some of the Greek Islands in the Spring and Summer of 1833, by John Auldjo it is easy to go through ever line and analyze or elaborate on what John Auldjo is stating he encountered. In the section of the book titled “Sultans visit to the Mosque” one easily realizes that the Sultan was going to pray either the noon prayer also known as the Dhuhr in Arabic or Friday prayer when John Auldjo states that it was eleven thirty at the time. Had one not know the different prayer times in Islam and around what time those prayers are one would believe that the Sultan was simply visiting the mosque which is exactly the perspective that John Auldjo is providing readers because of his perspective. Furthermore it is important to mention that the reason that the marching band was present is because of the fact that different prayer were...

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...n Auldjo goes back to taking about the precession of the Sultan going to the mosque. After the thirty officers came the ministers of state. After the ministers of state came the Sultan on horseback. Constantinople of course was different from England because of the religious role in the society. In regards to if John Auldjo observations are correct, one believes that every prospective is different and his was limited because he was a visitor.

Works Cited

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Donia, Robert J.. "The movement for Bosnian autonomy." Sarajevo: a biography. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Hurst & Co., 2006. 28. Print.

Journal of a Visit to Constantinople and Some of the Greek Islands in the Spring and Summer of 1833, by John Auldjo