The Ottoman Empire's Printing Press Revolution

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the fascinating story of how the Ottoman Empire adopted the printing press—centuries after Europe. They focus on Ibrahim Müteferrika, a Hungarian-born Muslim convert who established the first Ottoman Turkish printing press in 1727. Despite movable type being invented in China and Gutenberg's press revolutionizing Europe in the 1450s, the Ottomans resisted it due to scribal guilds, calligrapher opposition, and concerns about religious texts. Müteferrika received fatwa approval and Sultan Ahmed III's permission, but only for non-religious works. His press produced 17 titles in 17 years, including works on geography, history, and languages. The conversation also touches on earlier presses by Ottoman Jews and Armenians, and the schism between manuscript and print culture. Lucas explains how this delay impacted Ottoman literacy, science, and administrative efficiency, contrasting with Europe's print-driven information revolution. The episode ends with a reflection on cultural conservatism and technological change. #IbrahimMTeferrika #OttomanPrintingPress #HistoryOfPrinting #OttomanEmpire #TurkishPrinting #Gutenberg #SultanAhmedIII #Fatwa #Calligraphy #ScribalGuilds #ManuscriptCulture #InformationRevolution #18thCentury #LaleDevri #TulipEra #FexingoHistory #History #Podcast #SuleimanTheMagnificent #MehmedTheConqueror Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo