WHEN THE ADHAN AND THE BELLS MET: WESTERN FICTION PERSPECTIVES ON THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN LOUIS DE BERNIÈRES’S NOVEL BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS

Ahmet Yusuf Akyüz

doi:10.12981/mahder.1900804

TR EN

EZAN VE ÇANLAR BULUŞTUĞUNDA: LOUİS DE BERNİÈRES’İN KANATSIZ KUŞLAR ROMANINDA OSMANLI İMPARATORLUĞUNA İLİŞKİN BATI KURGU PERSPEKTİFLERİ

Abstract

Osmanlı İmparatorluğu, modern dönem öncesinde dini çoğulculuğun çarpıcı bir tarihsel örneğini sunmaktadır. Millet sistemini uygulayarak, esnek bir yönetim anlayışı benimseyerek ve kültürel açıklık sergileyerek, Müslümanlar, Hristiyanlar ve Yahudilerin ortak bir toplumda bir arada yaşamasına önemli fırsatlar tanımıştır. Bu araştırma, Batı edebiyatında Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun temsilini dört farklı roman üzerinden incelemekle birlikte, temel olarak Louis de Bernières’in Kanatsız Kuşlar adlı eserine odaklanmaktadır. Çalışma, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’ndaki dini ve sosyal hoşgörüyü, çoğulculuğu, senkretizmi, bir arada yaşamı, dayanışmayı, dinlerarası ve etnik gruplar arası evlilikleri analiz etmektedir. Ayrıca, gayrimüslimlerin Osmanlı’ya bağlılığı sorusuna ışık tutmaktadır. Araştırma, imparatorluğun dağılmasının ardından Türkiye ve Yunanistan arasındaki zorunlu nüfus mübadelesi gibi tartışmalı politikaları da ele almaktadır. Bu çalışma, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun zayıflaması ve nihai çöküşünün, bir zamanlar istikrarlı olan toplumsal uyumun ve dinlerarası ahengin bozulmasına yol açtığını savunmaktadır. Bu parçalanmayı tetikleyen üç temel faktör şunlardır: (1) İmparatorluğun gerilemesi ve kurumsal çözülmesi, (2) Balkan Savaşları, I. Dünya Savaşı ve Türk-Yunan Savaşı gibi uzun süreli çatışmaların mezhep gerilimlerini şiddetlendirmesi, (3) etnik ve dini bölünmeleri birlik fikrinin önüne çıkaran milliyetçi ideolojilerin küresel yükselişi.

Keywords

Osmanlı İmparatorluğu, Kanatsız Kuşlar, Dini Ahenk, Toplumsal Birliktelik, Nüfus Mübadelesi

WHEN THE ADHAN AND THE BELLS MET: WESTERN FICTION PERSPECTIVES ON THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN LOUIS DE BERNIÈRES’S NOVEL BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS

Abstract

The Ottoman Empire offers a striking historical example of religious pluralism long before the modern era. By implementing the millet system, exercising adaptable governance, and demonstrating cultural openness, the Empire created significant opportunities for Muslims, Christians, and Jews to coexist within a shared society. This research addresses the portrayal of the Ottoman Empire in Western fiction using four different novels, but basically focusing on Louis de Bernières’s novel Birds Without Wings. The study examines the religious and social tolerance, pluralism, syncretism, coexistence, solidarity, interfaith, and intermarriage between different faiths and races in the Ottoman Empire. It also shed light on the question of non-Muslims’ loyalty to the Ottoman Empire. The research also addresses some ill-conceived policies following the dissolution of the Empire, like the compulsory population exchange between Turkey and Greece. This study contends that the erosion and eventual collapse of the Ottoman Empire precipitated the disintegration of its once-stable intercommunal harmony and social cohesion. Three primary factors drove this fragmentation: (1) the Empire’s decline and institutional dissolution, (2) protracted conflicts—including the Balkan Wars, World War I, and the Greco-Turkish War—which exacerbated sectarian tensions, and (3) the global ascendancy of nationalist ideologies that prioritized ethnic and religious divisions over unity.

Keywords

The Ottoman Empire, Birds Without Wings, Religious Harmony, Social Coexistence, Population Exchange

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Multicultural, Intercultural and Cross-Cultural Studies, Cultural Studies of Nation and Region, Cultural Geography, Religion Anthropology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Ahmet Yusuf Akyüz ^*
0000-0001-8258-4748
Türkiye

Publication Date

June 21, 2026

Submission Date

March 2, 2026

Acceptance Date

June 11, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 19 Number: 54

DOI

https://doi.org/10.12981/mahder.1900804

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA95KZ53PH

APA

Akyüz, A. Y. (2026). WHEN THE ADHAN AND THE BELLS MET: WESTERN FICTION PERSPECTIVES ON THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN LOUIS DE BERNIÈRES’S NOVEL BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS. Motif Akademi Halkbilimi Dergisi, 19(54), 810-831. https://doi.org/10.12981/mahder.1900804

AMA

1.Akyüz AY. WHEN THE ADHAN AND THE BELLS MET: WESTERN FICTION PERSPECTIVES ON THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN LOUIS DE BERNIÈRES’S NOVEL BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS. Motif Academy. 2026;19(54):810-831. doi:10.12981/mahder.1900804

Chicago

Akyüz, Ahmet Yusuf. 2026. “WHEN THE ADHAN AND THE BELLS MET: WESTERN FICTION PERSPECTIVES ON THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN LOUIS DE BERNIÈRES’S NOVEL BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS”. Motif Akademi Halkbilimi Dergisi 19 (54): 810-31. https://doi.org/10.12981/mahder.1900804.

EndNote

Akyüz AY (June 1, 2026) WHEN THE ADHAN AND THE BELLS MET: WESTERN FICTION PERSPECTIVES ON THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN LOUIS DE BERNIÈRES’S NOVEL BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS. Motif Akademi Halkbilimi Dergisi 19 54 810–831.

IEEE

[1]A. Y. Akyüz, “WHEN THE ADHAN AND THE BELLS MET: WESTERN FICTION PERSPECTIVES ON THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN LOUIS DE BERNIÈRES’S NOVEL BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS”, Motif Academy, vol. 19, no. 54, pp. 810–831, June 2026, doi: 10.12981/mahder.1900804.

ISNAD

Akyüz, Ahmet Yusuf. “WHEN THE ADHAN AND THE BELLS MET: WESTERN FICTION PERSPECTIVES ON THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN LOUIS DE BERNIÈRES’S NOVEL BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS”. Motif Akademi Halkbilimi Dergisi 19/54 (June 1, 2026): 810-831. https://doi.org/10.12981/mahder.1900804.

JAMA

1.Akyüz AY. WHEN THE ADHAN AND THE BELLS MET: WESTERN FICTION PERSPECTIVES ON THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN LOUIS DE BERNIÈRES’S NOVEL BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS. Motif Academy. 2026;19:810–831.

MLA

Akyüz, Ahmet Yusuf. “WHEN THE ADHAN AND THE BELLS MET: WESTERN FICTION PERSPECTIVES ON THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN LOUIS DE BERNIÈRES’S NOVEL BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS”. Motif Akademi Halkbilimi Dergisi, vol. 19, no. 54, June 2026, pp. 810-31, doi:10.12981/mahder.1900804.

Vancouver

1.Ahmet Yusuf Akyüz. WHEN THE ADHAN AND THE BELLS MET: WESTERN FICTION PERSPECTIVES ON THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN LOUIS DE BERNIÈRES’S NOVEL BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS. Motif Academy. 2026 Jun. 1;19(54):810-31. doi:10.12981/mahder.1900804

EZAN VE ÇANLAR BULUŞTUĞUNDA: LOUİS DE BERNİÈRES’İN KANATSIZ KUŞLAR ROMANINDA OSMANLI İMPARATORLUĞUNA İLİŞKİN BATI KURGU PERSPEKTİFLERİ

Abstract

Keywords

WHEN THE ADHAN AND THE BELLS MET: WESTERN FICTION PERSPECTIVES ON THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE IN LOUIS DE BERNIÈRES’S NOVEL BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS

Abstract

Keywords

References

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