I suppose an argument can be made for taking this discussion off list.  It
only tangetially involves museums.  But I for one would love to be kept
posted.  It reminds me of when I first walked into the Postal Museum in
Washington because it was next to Union station and I had time to kill.  The
subject does not inherently interst me and would therefore not seek it out,
but now that I have exposed myself to it I'd love to see more. And better
yet, I'd love to eavesdrop while those of you who are knowledgeable aboutthe
topic discuss it.  It is what happens when mailing lists work best.  And
conference panels for that matter.

If you do take this discussion off list, could I be so bold as to ask to be
CC'ed in your discussion.  I for one am fascinated.


Matthew White
Director of Education
B&O Railroad Museum
901 W. Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21223
410/752-2461
-----Original Message-----
From: W Hart <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, March 12, 1999 2:42 PM
Subject: Re: the fez thing and More


>Dear Ms. Sezgin and List:
>
>Please contact me off list and I will give you the details of the Ottoman
>administration of the Serbian, Bosnian area.  The Ottoman creation of the
>elite Janissary (sp) guard in the military was designed specifically to
>remove gifted 12 year old Christian boys from their families and force them
>to change to the Moslem religion.  These boys were trained to be the finest
>combat force in the world for several centuries until the Ottomans began
>introducing Moslem boys into service in the 19th century.  This concept was
>to prevent the rise of any potential military leader among the Christians.
>Further, a British observer of the Turkish Army watched as they marched
>through Bulgaria in the early part of the 19th Century to put down
>rebellion.  The Turkish troops had been told that killing a Christian
>guaranteed a place in heaven.  After killing whole Christian villages and
>piling the corpses in the church courtyards to discourage the use of those
>buildings, many of the Turkish soldiers were observed with Christian babies
>impaled on their bayonets as they marched.
>
>War is a nasty business, but military history has shaped much of our world.
>I'm sure you have not been exposed to much of this (or perhaps mis-placed
>it).  This is what a military history museum does.  If we do not educate we
>simply collect "stuff".
>
>Wayne Hart, Executive Director
>Museum of Valor
>"What is Past is Prologue"
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Pamela Sezgin <[log in to unmask]>
>Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l
>To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Thursday, March 11, 1999 9:52 PM
>Subject: Re: the fez thing
>
>
>>To Wayne Hart:
>>
>>The Ottoman Turks were not "brutal and barbaric" in their relations with
>the
>>Orthodox Church nor did they "supress" it.
>>Yiassou!
>>
>>pamela sezgin
>>