Abstract
This study investigates transportation and shipping in the Ottoman Empire from the sixteenth to the late nineteenth century. It first examines the Ottoman road systems and presents the main roads of the empire that started from Istanbul and reached the whole country. Then it surveys castles, mountain passes, staging posts, and caravanserais built to keep these roads functioning and safe. Moreover, it examines periods and reasons for maintaining and repairing these roads. Secondly, it studies horse, camel, and mule-drawn carriages used in overland transportation, together with their speeds and capacities. Lastly, the study investigates people who performed transportation and shipping, namely mekkârîs, a particular group in the Ottoman guild system. It shows how these people organized and planned transportation.