United by a common interest in the institutions, the social life and the commercial activities of the Ottoman empire in its heyday, these studies fall into three sections. The first concentrates upon Istanbul, the heart of the empire; the second covers the dealings between the Ottomans and foreign traders, amongst whom the Venetians held a prime position. Robert Mantran then turns to the Arabic provinces of the empire, examining their relations with the central government. In particular, he looks at Northern Africa, the history of which in the Ottoman period remains too little studied, and yet for which - as for other aspects of Ottoman history - there still exists a wealth of unexplored documentary information.