A historical novel set in Istanbul in the 1590s, under the Ottoman sultan. A group of miniaturist painters is secretly at work on a book that uses Western techniques of portraiture, which some consider dangerous to tradition and faith. When one of the artists disappears, an investigation begins, and a young man returns to the city after years away and falls for a woman there.
The story is told by many voices, including a corpse, a coin and the color red. It is both a murder mystery and a rich reflection on art, style, devotion and the clash of cultures.
Quotes
I Am a Corpse (p. 3)
I Am Called Black (p. 9)
The drinking of coffee is an absolute sin! Our Glorious Prophet did not partake of coffee because he knew it dulled the intellect, caused ulcers, hernia and sterility; he understood that coffee was nothing but the Devil's ruse.
I Will Be Called a Murderer (p. 17)