European paper

Ingredients

cellulose

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The text notes a transition in material sourcing: early Ottoman manuscripts relied on expensive local or regional paper, but by the 17th century, 'relatively cheaply produced European paper began to be imported... on a large scale' (p. 209).

Evidence

"another factor contributing to the sparse amount of manuscripts was the cost of the production: paper was expensive, especially before the 17th century and even when the relatively cheaply produced European paper began to be imported into the Empire on a large scale"

Remarks

The high cost of paper was a significant deterrent to manuscript production. European imports changed the economics of codex creation in the Ottoman Empire during the early modern period. Despite the shift to cheaper imports, the paper used in surviving 14th-century manuscripts is noted as being 'on the whole of high quality' (p. 208).