Ottoman Court Astrology

In episode 492 Professor A. Tunç Şen joins the podcast to discuss his book, Forgotten Experts: Astrologers, Science, and Authority in the Ottoman Empire, 1450-1600, which is on astrologers working in the Ottoman court in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The conversation offers a detailed picture of the lives and social dynamics of astrologers who operated at the highest levels of power in the Ottoman court. A significant focus is the establishment of a formal unit for court astrologers, or munajjim, within the Ottoman bureaucracy, which paralleled other expert fields like physicians and architects. This unit, which could consist of one to six astrologers, was created in the 15th century and remarkably lasted until the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century.

The episode delves into the various duties performed by these court astrologers. A primary function was the practice of electional astrology, where they would determine auspicious moments for a wide range of …