SBS - East to West (2011) Part 7 The Ottomans and the West

East to West is an exciting seven part series charting the birth of a flourishing civilisation in the Near and Middle East, and its dynamic influence on the West. Examining a largely untold story with a fresh perspective, the series follows the spread of civilisation across the globe from the first cities of Mesopotamia. For crucial phases in world history the key place was the Middle East – an extraordinary region that was a political, economic and cultural centre and a bridge between the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. East to West tells a complex story encompassing vast empires and covering three continents. An epic journey of discovery – from the East to the West.

Part 7: The Ottomans and the West \ This episode looks at the wider Ottoman world, taking in superb merchants' houses in Birgi (Anatolia) and Damascus. At the edge of empire, on the Persian border near Mt. Ararat, we discover how the Ottoman's controlled the extremities of Empire at Ishak Pasha's magnificent palace. The programme then explores the growing European fascination with 'The Orient' throughout the 19th century, both as a place of culture and also as a trading partner and market for mass produced western goods. We end by tracing the decline of the Ottoman Empire in the dying days of the19th century, a time when the Sultans still managed to achieve great feats, including the building of the great Hejaz Railway across the Arabian desert.

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