Template:POTD/2013-09-15

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Bashi-bazouk
The bashi-bazouk were irregular soldiers of the Ottoman army who could originate from any part of the empire. Known for such a lack of discipline that they were sometimes forcibly disarmed and worked for plunder, they were formally abandoned by the end of the 19th century.

This painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme, now held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was produced after he visited Asia Minor in 1868. According to the museum, "Gérôme's virtuosic treatment of textures provides a sumptuous counterpoint to the figure’s dignified bearing".