This narrative initially espoused by nationalist activists and politicians made its way into the way early 20th century Bulgarian historians wrote about the past. In his new book The Nature of the Ottoman City: Water and Urban Space in Sofia, 1380s-1910s, Peychev critically takes apart these notions. European and Ottoman visitors to the city remarked about the abundance of thermal springs, public bathhouses and urban design up until the nineteenth century. In the sixteenth century, Ottoman military commander and imperial administrator Yahya Pasha, built the city’s water supply system. The Nature of the Ottoman City offers critical insight into the centrality of water in an urban space for the Ottomans.