Ever since Max Weber posited the ideal-typical distinction between Oriental and Occidentalcities in his essays on the economic history of Europe, many historians of the Middle East havegrappled with his model. The debate about the existence of the “Oriental” or, morespecifically, the “Islamic” city and the validity of Weber's construct have ledto the growth of a sizable body of literature on the topic. In this collection of their essays,Masters, Goffman, and Eldem approach this question from a different angle. They ask not somuch whether the “Islamic City” exists, but whether there was such a thing as anOttoman city. Based on their work on Aleppo, Izmir, and Istanbul in the 17th and 18th centuries,they come up with an answer that can be described as a qualified no.