The Arabic books showcased here were printed during the 18th century in the Ottoman empire (1299-1923) at the first and second presses established in the Islamic world that used movable Arabic type. These works represent a fraction of the early Arabic printed materials produced in the region. Due to the strong affiliation of these first presses with Christian institutions, the books shown here demonstrate their largely Christian interests. Other Arabic works printed in the Ottoman world, however, covered topics as diverse as literature, law, history, poetry, medicine, astronomy, and mathematics.