Lustre ware that had almost ceased in the 15^th century was revived in the late 16^th century and went on until the early 18^th century, using a very hard, white body. The floral and scrollwork designs were painted in gold, brown and red colours on a white ground and sometimes over a blue glaze. Shapes were now bottles, vases, cups and plates. During the 17^th and early 18^thcenturies monochrome and polychrome wares were produced, although the source is not certain. Some of the former were moulded as human and animal figures. The latter were painted in brown/red, blue and green under the glaze.

Masjid-I Shah mosque dome
- source web parandehtealae

Both wares could have been made at Kerman. Copper-coloured lustreware and polychrome painted wares became very fashionable.

In 1587 AD, 16-year-old Abbas, the 5^th Safavid Shah, usurped the throne, when the Safavids were under pressure from the Ottomans and Usbeks. In 1587 AD they moved their Capital to Isfahan and, rejuvenated, they defeated the Usbeks. A new artistic style took over and a magnificent new town centre was built. It contained the palace and the magnificent Masjid-I Shah mosque that was built in 1616 AD and had a dome covered with glazed decorated tiles. Many Armenians were moved to Isfahan to take advantage of their trading skills. They needed to grow the silk trade to Europe to pay for imports including spices, cotton and metals from India, their main trading partner. The Armenians were allowed to continue their Christian rituals.

A series of incompetent rulers weakened the Safavids and they were invaded by Afghans in 1722 AD. Subsequently the Afghans and Ottomans partitioned the Safavid Empire between them.

9.56 Turkey and the Ottomans

Map of Ottoman Empire 1400 AD
- source Thomas Lessman

The Turks originally migrated into Anatolia from Turkmenistan in Central Asia. Turkey became part of the Seljuk Empire in 1071 AD when slip painted wares influenced by Persian and Afghanistani potters were prevalent. Once the Mongols had departed, the various Turkish mini states fought amongst themselves until the Ottoman Turks began their expansion in 1299 AD, ultimately emerging as the victors.

They overran Byzantine Constantinople in 1453 AD and the last Byzantine ruler Constantine XI (1449-53 AD) fell fighting on the walls. The 21-year-old Muslim ruler Sultan Mehmed II (1444-1481 AD) “Mehmed the Conqueror” subsequently adopted it as his capital. He also ordered that all books in the famous library that were not aligned with the Qur’an be destroyed, but others saved. However, Christian scholars removed some books before Constantinople fell, and these became available to the West.

Hagia Sophia, Isnik, floor mosaic 6^th century AD

Some of these Greek scholars migrated to Italy and could well have contributed to the second Renaissance in the 14^th century AD. The Ottoman builders did not destroy Churches, but plastered over mosaics and frescos converting them into mosques, so quite a lot of it was preserved under the covering and can be seen today. Constantine the Great built the first Hagia Sophia church in Constantinople (Istanbul) in the 4th century AD. It was used for 9 centuries as a Christian church, then 5 centuries as a mosque and is now a museum. The Hagia Sophia church in Isnik (Nicaea) was built by Justinian I in the 6^th century. It was the location of the first and seventh Ecumenical Councils, the latter in 787 AD being the source of the Nicaean Creed. Some 6^th century floor mosaics are still in evidence.