"Often brushed aside by locals and largely ignored by tourists, the city of Gotha—population 45,000 in the heart of central Germany—might not look like much today, but in the 17th century, it was arguably at the center of the world. Or at least it was aspiring to be.When Europe’s Thirty Years’ War over dynastic and territorial rivalries ended in 1648, the region’s top aristocrat, Duke Ernst I, wanted to build an official residence atop the rubble of a castle razed during the conflict, which had stood on Gotha’s highest hill. The result was Friedenstein Palace, a sprawling, royal residence that today is considered one of the best-preserved examples of early Baroque architecture in Europe. ...”
Also among the collection of handwritten books is this artful Şükûfe-nâme (Flower Book), in which illustrations of flowers are pasted in.
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