Elite culture of Early Modern Crimean Khanate: Western Travellers' Perceptions

The statehood of the Crimean Tatars indigenous people of Crimea is little known worldwide. In the era of the Crimean Khanate, the Crimean Tatars cultivated elite culture characterised by a synthesis of European customs and Islamic religious traditions. The term "elite culture" refers specifically to the cultural society of the established aristocracy, the educated upper class, political influencers, and individuals active in fields such as education, art, literature, architecture, philosophy and the military. Elite culture in the Crimean Khanate can be described as the confluence of various influences leading to a distinctive fusion of artistic, intellectual and social elements. This study looks at elite culture from the perspective of Western travellers from France, Germany, Poland and England visiting Crimea in 16th-19th centuries, in particular, Martin Bronowski, Baron de Tott, Claude-Charles de Peyssonnel and others. The research contends that the travelogues portrayed a harmonious blend of culture and politics, showcasing how certain Crimean khans, who were also skilled writers and musicians, contributed to this vision. The leaders of the Crimean Tatar Giray dynasty aspired to establish an advanced state, characterized by a military and a thriving intellectual heritage, deeply intertwined with the Ottoman Empire.