I'm in lower Manhattan, attending a few mysterious meetings, and I have to say...

...that this ottoman is a little too close to Ground Zero, if you ask me. The furniture...

The word ottoman was introduced into English in the "footstool" sense in 1806 (probably from the identical French word, which also denotes a type of textile fabric), because the ottoman's typical use in a reclining position was associated in Europe with the Orient, in line with fashionable Turkish style.

...can't really be separated from the Ottomans. And who were the Ottoman Turks? And what was their "style" all about? Conquest:

The Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453 cemented the status of the Empire as the preeminent power in southeastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. During this time, the Ottoman Empire entered a long period of conquest and expansion, extending its borders deep into Europe and North Africa. Conquests on land were driven by the discipline and innovation of the Ottoman military.

And they planted mosques at the sites of their conquests—even if it meant defiling Christian centers of worship!

From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, [the Hagia Sophia] served as the cathedral of Constantinople... In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks and Sultan Mehmed II ordered the building to be converted into a mosque.[6] The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were removed and many of the mosaics were eventually plastered over. The Islamic features — such as the mihrab, the minbar, and the four minarets outside — were added over the course of its history under the Ottomans.

There are actually three ottomans in this conference room—it's a cell! Quick! To your chalkboard, Glenn Beck!