A key research seminar in Ottoman history designed to introduce graduate students to first-hand familiarity with, and provide them with an initial capacity for working on, a variety of primary period sources, in their original form, revolving around a particular theme relevant to the 17th and 18th centuries. The thematic concentration may be changed by the instructor from year to year. Prerequisite: HIST 572 or the equivalent, plus an adequate Ottoman script reading ability (both to be verified by the History Program). Basic deliverable: a major, 30-page research paper based on primary materials as described above. Subject to the fulfillment of these conditions, counts towards completion of the MA or PhD seminar requirements in History.