Latest from William Gourlay
Remembering Sergei Parajanov, the Bard of the Caucasus
The revered Armenian cinema auteur Sergei Parajanov both embodied and sought to capture on celluloid the ethnic and cultural diversity of the Caucasus, inspired by the myths and folklore that bind the region together. Yet the world he cherished is now marked by closed borders, nationalist rancor and polarization.
The 1873 World’s Fair and Turkey’s European Aspirations
At the 1873 World’s Fair, the Ottomans presented themselves as a European power, governing an empire whose diverse peoples were united by a single cohesive identity. Yet while the fair’s Ottoman exhibits made an impression, Ottoman identity foundered, and Istanbul continued to be seen as peripheral to European diplomacy.