Domenico's Istanbul

Domenico was the name taken by a rabbi and doctor from Safed in Palestine on his conversion to Catholicism in 1593.

For some ten years he served as Third Physician to Sultan Murad III.

In 1611 he wrote, or more accurately dictated, his Relatione della gran Citta di Constantinopoli.

This is not just a topographical description of the city but also an account of its inhabitants and the regulations governing their lives, of how the Sultan spent his time, of the principles and practice of Islam, and much more.

Austin's English translation, commentary and notes provide a comprehensive guide to this important text.