Part travelogue, part missionary account, this book recounts the experiences of a nineteenth-century traveler in the Ottoman Empire. Indeed, Hamlin’s account begins with a description of the origin and extent of the Ottoman Empire, including a consideration of the social issues it faced. The growth of the empire as it headed toward traditionally Christian regions is of interest to the author. Political background of the period is included along with the travels undertaken by Hamlin. Some tumultuous times were encountered during his time abroad, and Hamlin saw in them the need for religious freedom. A tour of southern Macedonia is described, and the issue of what a missionary ought to do for a living is discussed. The Crimean War captures the attention of a chapter and accounts of church building are interspersed with travels to the Balkans. Education and the issue of an encounter with Islam, sympathetic to the reading of the Quran leads Hamlin to conclude with the misrepresentation of the Ottomans that he has discovered to be problematic. An intimate glimpse into the Ottoman world of the nineteenth century, this historic travelogue will be welcomed by students of missionary activity and the rapidly changing region of Turkey.

Cyrus Hamlin (1811-1900) was a Congregationalist minister, missionary, and teacher. He attended Bowdoin College and Bangor Theological Seminary in Maine, and went to Turkey as a missionary. He helped found Robert College in Istanbul, and returned to the United States and taught at Bangor. He also served as president of Middlebury College in Vermont.