Ancient discovery or mystery,The Tulip Era and the Dawn of a New Age (1700–1720), part.6

 
The dawn of the 18th century brought to Istanbul a delicate shimmer of change, one that pulsated through its palaces, amphitheaters, expressways, and coffeehouses like the soft petals of a tulip extending at first light. The Ottoman Empire had endured centuries of war, domination, and upheaval, but by 1700 a new spirit sounded to stir within the heart of the empire. This spirit was n't born on the battlefield but in the yards of palaces, in the verses of muses, in the laughter of merrymakers,