Center for Ottoman Studies

The Center for Ottoman Studies is an integral part of the " Mediterranean and African Worlds Department " of the Institute of Civilizations at the Collège de France. It hosts scientific programs, publications and a research library. It is currently directed by Alexandre Papas. Elisabetta Borromeo is deputy director.

The Centre, which has its own activities within the Collège, is closely linked to the UMR 8032 Centre d'études turques, ottomanes, balkaniques et centre-asiatiques (CÉTOBAC), a team under the joint supervision of the EHESS and the Collège de France, which hosts part of its Ottomanist activity around a rich specialized library. The Centre is also intended to serve as a meeting place for Parisian Ottoman specialists from other academic institutions.

Initially built up from the holdings of professors at the Collège de France in the ^20th century, the library has undergone significant development over the last twenty years, during which its collections have been enriched by a systematic policy of acquisitions (financed by the Collège de France and two CNRS teams) and major donations. It covers the major disciplines of Islamic civilization, but is primarily a library of excellence in medieval and modern history, particularly Ottoman history up to the first decades of the ^19th century. It is this richness that is maintained as a priority, taking into account publications in Europe and America, but also in Turkey. Particular attention is paid to the acquisition of published sources in Ottoman Turkish (archives, chronicles, etc.). Major specialist journals in the field, both living and old, are also available for consultation.

The library, which offers direct access to the shelves, is designed for specialists, doctoral students and Master's students. It is open Monday to Friday, from 2 pm to 6 pm . Its catalog can be consulted online, on the Collège de France website, or via the Sudoc website.

The Centre d'études ottomanes hosts the editorial offices of two scientific journals : Turcica. Journal of Turkish Studies. Peuples, langues, cultures, Etats, an annual international journal publishing in German, English, French and Italian ; Journal of Sufi Studies, a biannual international journal publishing in English and French.

Caption for illustration : Kapı Ağası Medresesi, drawing by Albert Gabriel, Monuments turcs d'Anatolie  II, Paris, E. de Boccard, 1931-1934, p. 55

Research projects :

• 1. Archives des bailes de Venise

Deciphering and producing bilingual (Italian-French) notes for the inventory of Ottoman documents in the Archives des bailes de Venise, as part of the agreement between CÉTOBAC and the Archivio di stato di Venezia. Coordinators : Elisabetta Borromeo and Nicolas Vatin

• 2. CEO monthly seminar : Ottoman women themselves

After exploring the world of Ottoman emotions - the subject of a dossier in the journal Turcica (no. 56, 2025, in press), with contributions from E. Borromeo, A. Papas, M. Toutant and N. Vatin - the Center's monthly seminar is now devoted to Ottoman women. It features translations of various texts written by women, or dealing with the female sphere in Ottoman society. An initial series of around six contributions will be compiled by summer 2025, to be published as a book project by Belles Lettres. Coordinators : Elisabetta Borromeo and Alexandre Papas

• 3. Encyclopedia of historiographies

Participation of Ottomanists in theEncyclopedia of Historiographies. Afriques, Amériques, Asies launched by the Centre d'études en sciences sociales sur les mondes africains, américains et asiatiques (CESSMA, UMR 245).   : Marc Toutant

• 4. History of Turkic empires from the ^6th to the ^14thcenturies  

Project to write a new synthesis commissioned by Belles Lettres, with the aim of presenting as clearly as possible a highly complex and little-known Eastern Middle Ages, taking into account the most recent research. Coordinators : Alexandre Papas and Marc Toutant

• 5. Booklets presenting the library's collections

Program to produce booklets describing the holdings of the Library of Ottoman Studies, their rationale and the scientific personalities of the great scholars of the same name. The booklet devoted to Stéphane Yérasimos, written by E. Becan, is ready for publication and has been sent to the Collège. Hélène Morlier has designed a mock-up which will be used for this and subsequent booklets. The next one, dedicated to Jean Sauvaget, was initiated by Elif Becan and Meriç Tanık, and will be written by Emre Onar. Responsible : Emre Onar.