Even centuries after an empire's fall, traces of that civilization can be found throughout the geographical area that it once occupied. Roman ruins dot the landscape from Great Britain to the Middle East; the decorative arts of the Ottoman Empire can still be seen throughout Spain; and the Taj Mahal in India is a permanent reminder of the Mogul Empire. However, if you want to see examples of the influence that's still being exerted by some of these great powers, look at the similarities in traditional music among the countries they once occupied or that came under their sphere of influence.
This is especially true of the various cultures that at one time or another were ruled by the Ottoman Empire of Turkey. Aside from any of their own musical traditions that they might have carried with them as they expanded across Europe and the Middle East, they also brought with them any impressions they may have absorbed along the way. From Egypt to Spain and throughout the Balkans, enough similarities in music can be found that it's possible for contemporary musicians with roots in any of the cultures touched by the Empire to feel comfortable playing and adapting the music of another region that had come under their influence.
This was really brought home to me when I listened to the self-titled CD by the duo who make up Teslim. While violinist Kaila Flexer draws upon a background in Jewish music, oud, and a multitude of other plucked string instruments, player Gari Hegedus combines his Eastern European heritage, Hungarian, with a love for the traditional instruments of the Middle East. As a result, the music on Teslim not only reflects their individual heritage and interests, but is an example of the common ground that exists between the music of different cultures. 
Would you have considered it possible for a traditional Sephardic Jewish melody in praise of God, "El Meod Na'ala" ("God Is Very Divine"), to be played in such a manner that it would be reminiscent of Turkish Sufi music? Maybe not, unless you happen to know that the Sephardic Jews inhabited the Iberian peninsula, Portugal and Spain, in relative peace when it was part of the Ottoman Empire. While it's highly doubtful that they would have written music that was in that style, the music that they developed during that time would have reflected the culture around them.
Listening to "El Meod Na'ala," you'd never know that it hadn't been originally written the way it's performed on Teslim, as it sounds perfectly natural. There's none of the forced sound that you so often hear when people try to combine musical traditions that have no business being put together. In fact, unless you knew that it was comprised of a melody from one culture and the rhythmic pattern of another, you likely couldn't tell since they fit together so seamlessly. While not all the of the songs on the CD draw upon multiple traditions, each of them could very well have its origins in one or another of the countries that at one time was under the sway of the Ottoman Empire.
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