From the fifteenth to the sixteenth century, the janissaries were the scourge of Europe. Their loyalty to their corps was infinite, as the Ottomans conquered the Balkans as far as the Danube, and Syria, Egypt and Iraq. Who were they? Why were they an elite? Why did they decline and what was their end? This book aims to answer these questions.

Focussing on the oft-neglected role of women in Ottoman high society and power politics, this book brings to life the women who made their mark in a male domain.

Treating the subject chronologically and in historical perspective, this is a comprehensive survey of Ottoman architecture, with references to Byzantine, Persian and Selcuk examples and discussion of the effects of conquests, religions and social organization.