Evliya Çelebis Krimbericht

Hintergrund, Sprache, Erzählweise

Abstract

This article describes the Ottoman traveller Evliya Çelebi’s account of the Crimean Khanate in the mid-17th century, starting with a general introduction to author and work and an overview of his itinerary on the Crimea. In the light of the khanate’s special position among the Ottoman dependencies on the one hand and the changes in the power balance between khan and sultan during this period on the other, several passages of Evliya’s account are examined with regard to his depiction of the Giray dynasty. Rather than suggesting disdain or arrogance, these passages appear on the contrary to show a genuine appreciation, although – in Evliya’s typical manner – not without ironic and entertaining elements. At the same time, while Evliya stresses the connections between the two dynasties, in case of doubt he presents his own in a slightly more favorable light. However, for all the elements of commonality that he identifies, it seems to be precisely the Crimean Tatars’ self-reliance that Evliya appreciates.