How can one man be so bloody incompetent? Amazing, really. Here are some very long-delayed shots from Istanbul. They are various versions of a tughra, which is the distinctive signatures of Ottoman sultans. They all have the same calligraphic standards. The two circles on the left represent the two seas, the Mediterranean and the Black, that were dominated by the Ottomans sitting in Istanbul. The three"flagpoles" at the top are supposed to represent independence, with the "flags" blowing from east to west - symbolic of Turkish expansion from the early centuries. Not surprisingly the lines to the right represent swords and power. The signatures are an art form in their own right, reaching their peak, as with most things Ottoman, during the reign of Suleyman the Magnificent.
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