What Ottoman Constantinople takes for granted, frowns upon, laments, and lampoons in terms of gender is often so unexpected that it might prompt us to rebuild our own conceptions of history and gender from the ground up. Gender in Ottoman Constantinople reconstructs this fascinating gender world before tracing its supposed disintegration in the 19th century. In fact, Ottoman notions of gender continue to inform descendants of this culture even today, which is why the book concludes with some general reflections on the use and abuse of history for life.