Exhibition: Ottoman Journeys – Life and Afterlife in Greenwich at Charlton House

In 2022, a visitor to a museum in Greenwich made a remarkable discovery.

An unidentified slab of rock with mysterious etchings was in fact an Ottoman gravestone dating back to the 18th century.

An exhibition at Charlton House, Ottoman Journeys: Life and Afterlife in Greenwich, has been created by the University of Greenwich, the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust, and Muslim, interfaith, and Turkish community groups living in the borough.

The exhibition centres on an 18th-century Ottoman gravestone that was identified and translated by Dr Michael Talbot, associate professor in the history of the Ottoman Empire and modern Middle East.

Dr Talbot said: “I hope this exhibition will highlight the rich histories of links between Greenwich and the Ottoman Empire, as well as showcase the more recent histories and contributions of some of our borough’s many communities with faith and heritage ties to the former Ottoman lands.”

Alongside the exhibition, events linked to Ottoman and Islamic history are also scheduled throughout the summer at Charlton House.

The university’s research team consisting of Dr Talbot, Dr Sara Pennell, Dr Rania Hafez, and level 5 History student Nadia Lopes, has worked alongside heritage and community partners to co-produce an exhibition that brings the borough’s museum collection, as well as Ottoman history, to a wider audience.

The exhibition will run throughout summer at Charlton house in Charlton Road, Greenwich.

Website: https://www.greenwichheritage.org/events/ottoman-journeys-life-and-afterlife-in-greenwich/

Picture: Ottoman Journeys: Life and Afterlife in Greenwich Picture: Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust