I have just finished The Magician's Nephew and the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and just a few hours ago watched the movie. I could not help noticing several, almost too many, Turkish and Ottoman influences in everything I've witnessed so far.
-Turkish Delight (most obvious one)
-Aslan is Turkish for lion (also rather obvious)
-In the movie, the tents at Aslan's soldiers' camp great resemblence Ottoman and Turkish war tents (see
http://womansworld05.atalink.co.uk/_inl ... /269-1.jpg)
-Peter is named "Peter the Magnificent" while Suleyman, a most powerful Ottoman sultan, was known as Suleyman the Magnificent.
-The image preceding The Horse and His Boy is largely Middle Eastern in style although I really can't effectively describe why or how it resembles it any further. I'm sure most of you understand this premise, however.
My real question is, did C.S. Lewis have some sort of Turkish or Ottoman background? Maybe spent some time there or studied it or whatnot. If not, why is this Turkish influence so prevalent throughout the series? I have only read the first two books, but I'm sure there are many other examples in the remainder of the series also. Has anyone else noticed these or other links to Turkey in the Chronicles of Narnia?