So I finally got cheated in Istanbul, but it was worth it.

Yesterday I was in Ankara, mainly to see Dr. Halil Inalcik, probably the foremost scholar of Ottoman history in the world. Now 92 years old, he is an inspiration. Having published many books before, he's still at it. He was described to be beforehand as a man still living in the 16th century. When I saw his cherubic face and reflective demeanor, I thought perhaps I'd like to go back to that time myself. It was a glorious conversation, full of many insights. The passion of his career, he said, has been to correct the biases of Western scholarship about the Eastern Mediterranean. He seemed to scratch at my attitudes right away to see...