A History of the World in 100 Objects

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Factual: History

Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, retells humanity's history through objects

Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, narrates 100 programmes that retell humanity's history through the objects we have made.

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A History of the World in 100 Objects: The Threshold of the Modern World (1375-1550 AD): Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent

Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent

The Threshold of the Modern World (1375-1550 AD)

A History of the World in 100 Objects Omnibus

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Neil Macgregor with the personal monogram of Suleyman the Magnificent.

Neil MacGregor's world history explores the great empires of the world around 1500 - the threshold of the modern era. Today he examines the signature of Suleyman the Magnificent.

Neil MacGregor's world history as told through things. This week he is exploring the great empires of the world around 1500 - from the Inca in South America to the Ming in China and the Timurids in the Middle East. Today he is with the great Islamic Ottoman Empire that, by 1500, had conquered Constantinople as its new capital. The object Neil has chosen to represent this empire is the personal signature of the great Ottoman ruler Suleyman the magnificent, a contemporary of Henry V111 and Charles V. This monogram is the ultimate expression of Suleyman's authority at this time - a stamp of state and delicate artwork rolled into one. The Turkish novelist Elif Shafak and the historian Caroline Finkel help explore the power and meaning of this object.

Producer: Anthony Denselow



A History of the World in 100 Objects: The Threshold of the Modern World (1375-1550 AD)

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Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Neil MacGregor explores the great empires of the world in the threshold of the modern era.

This week Neil MacGregor is exploring the great empires of the world around 1500 - from the Inca in South America to the Ming in China and the Timurids in the Middle East.

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A History of the World in 100 Objects

The Threshold of the Modern World (1375-1550 AD)

Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent

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