Losing Istanbul
Award Winner
2023: MESA Book Awards
Winner of the 2023 Albert Hourani Book Award, sponsored by the Middle East Studies Association (MESA).
Losing Istanbul offers an intimate history of empire, following the rise and fall of a generation of Arab-Ottoman imperialists living in Istanbul. Mostafa Minawi shows how these men and women negotiated their loyalties and guarded their privileges through a microhistorical study of the changing social, political, and cultural currents between 1878 and the First World War. He narrates lives lived in these turbulent times—the joys and fears, triumphs and losses, pride and prejudices—while focusing on the complex dynamics of ethnicity and race in an increasingly Turco-centric imperial capital.
Drawing on archival records, newspaper articles, travelogues, personal letters, diaries, photos, and interviews, Minawi shows how the loyalties of these imperialists were questioned and their ethnic identification weaponized. As the once diverse empire comes to an end, they are forced to give up their home in the imperial capital. An alternative history of the last four decades of the Ottoman Empire, Losing Istanbul frames global pivotal events through the experiences of Arab-Ottoman imperial loyalists who called Istanbul home, on the eve of a vanishing imperial world order.
"Part biography, part political geography, and part history of a truly unsettling time in the Middle East and Africa, Losing Istanbul reveals lives and intimate relationships that did not survive the Ottoman Empire into the new Turkish Republic. Mostafa Minawi has written a brilliant book—painstaking, rich, and unique."—Eve Troutt-Powell, University of Pennsylvania
"Through their personal experiences, Minawi captures a compelling narrative about the systemic challenges that confronted this last generation of 'Arab-Ottoman imperialists.' This book sheds much-needed light on hitherto ignored interpersonal dynamics that escaped the caustic identity politics historianslong claimed had destroyed the empire. Highly recommended."—I. Blumi, CHOICE
"Minawi's meticulous research, nuanced analysis, and interdisciplinary approach significantly contribute to our understanding of the complexities of identity, nationalism, and state-building in the modern era. Rich in detail and analytical depth, the book is essential for scholars and enthusiasts seeking deeper insights into this period of the Ottoman Empire, as well as its present legacies for the region."—Alexandros Balatsoukas, Kult_online: Review Journal for the Study of Culture
"Losing Istanbul is a fascinating, deeply researched, innovative book relevant to Ottomanists and non-Ottomanists alike."—Cyrus Schayegh, American Historical Review
