Istanbul was the seat of government and the cultural center of the Ottoman Empire. As in any capital, quality of workmanship was highly competitive, and therefore typically of excellent quality. Istanbul craftsmen had both access to European models, and multinational clients, so the formal and decorative palettes were substantially broader than in many other locations there. Finally, Greeks were prominent in Istanbul society, thus the unusual juxtaposition of Ottoman symbols and characters with Greek letters is occasionally found there.
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