11 Ottoman Architecture

8/9/2019 11 Ottoman Architecture

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The East, the West,The East, the West,and the Appropriationand the Appropriation

of the Pastof the Pastin Early Ottoman Architecture



AbstractAbstract

As the Ottoman state emerged in the fourteenthand fifteenth centuries, it encountered thecontemporary, medieval cultures of WesternEurope and Byzantium, as well as the past,classical cultures of northwest Asia Minor.

An examination of early Ottoman architecture,including the construction of new works,adaptation of existing buildings, and attitudesexpressed toward older monuments, helps toclarify the nature of the encounter.

The Ottoman appropriation of the past may beunderstood as a part of their symbolic controlof the land and as an attempt to positionthemselves within the larger context of world.



Three Points of abstractThree Points of abstract

This article is about the architecture of Ottomans in early years, especiallyuntil the reign of Mehmed II.

It discusses how Ottomans realized theconstruction of new buildings andadaptations of old ones.

It claims that the early Ottoman

architecture represents their symboliccontrol and their attempt to positionthemselves within the larger worldcontext.



Mehmed the Conqurer’sMehmed the Conqurer’sVisit to TroyVisit to Troy

In 1463, a decade after the Ottomanconquest of Constantinople, whenMehmet the Conqueror was onexpedition to Mitylene (Midilli), he

diverted his army to visit Ilium,the site of ancient Troy.

At that time, there was a poorvillage on the site.

But Mehmet the Conqurer wantedto see "its ruins and the traces of the ancient city" as well as thetombs of the heroes such as

Achilles and Ajax and the rest. He raised and con ratulated them.



What Mehmed II said inWhat Mehmed II said inTroyTroy

Then, according to his biographerKritovoulos, He said, that

"God has reserved for me through solong a period of years the right toavenge this city and its inhabitants.For I have subdued their enemies andhave plundered their cities and havemade them the spoils of the Mysians.

It was the Greeks and Macedoniansand Thessalians and Peloponnesianswho ravaged this place in the past,and whose descendants have nowthrough my efforts paid the justpenalty after a long period of years,



WHY MEHMED II VISITEDWHY MEHMED II VISITED

TROY?TROY?

The main question?



TroyTroy

In classical antiquity, Asia and theEast were symbolized by Troy.

It was a city, both factual andlegendary.

Troy was a great civilization. It was located in northwest Turkey,

near the Dardenelles. It is famous with the Trojan war.



Trojan WarTrojan War

The Trojan War always became a metaphor intimes of conflict between the East and theWest.

The Author of this story was Homer. Homer told

many stories but the Trojan War was one of hismore popular ones. The Trojan War was the greatest conflict in the

Greek mythology. This war influenced people in literature and arts

for centuries. The war was between the Greeks and Trojans in

the city of Troy (Ilium). The war lasted for ten years and it has been

traditionally dated from 1194 to 1184 BC.



Romans relations withRomans relations withTrojansTrojans

The Romans saw themselves as thedescendants of the Trojans.

Following the Roman conquest of Asia

Minor, they acknowledged Troy asRome's mother city;

The pilgrimage to Troy became an

ideological necessity for travelingRoman rulers. Julius Caesar visited the site, and even it

is claimed that Caesar had moved the

capital there.



Why they rememberWhy they rememberTroy?Troy?

Troy became the symbol of the East. Historical figures like Mehmed II and

Atatürk remembred Troy and Trojan

war in the times of conflict betweenEast and West.

Atatürk said in 1922 that “I took the

avenge of the Trojans.” like MehmedII after the conquest of Istanbul.



East and WestEast and West

The concept of East and West remainsfundamental to our political,ideological and cultural framework.

These categories are linked togeography only superficially.

The fundamental difference is

opposing viewpoints on government,economy, religion, and ethics.



Cultural OverlapCultural Overlap

When Ottoman state established inthe late thirteenth century, it wasthe period of cultural overlap.

They adopted the Greekadministration, and the populationremained largely mixed.

In the same way, their architecturewas mixed of different cultures.



MixtureMixture

In the early years, the former nomads werebuilding, in a manner technically andstylistically distinct from the Muslimarchitecture in other parts of Anatolia.

Ottoman architecture is the mixture of Seljuk, Iranian, Byzantine and IslamicMamluk architecture.

Overall, Ottoman architecture can bedescribed as a synthesis of the

architectural traditions of theMediterranean and the Middle East. Such a mixture of forms reflect the diverse

background of the Ottomans.

The heterogeneous architecture becamesymbol of early Ottoman culture.



ConfusionConfusion

The similarities in late Byzantine andearly Ottoman constructiontechniques have led to numerous

confusions. Mosques frequently incorporated

elements from ancient andByzantine buildings such as

columns. For example, a nineteenth-century

photograph introduced Haci Özbek

Camii which was one of the earliest“



Integration, CooperationIntegration, Cooperationand Continuityand Continuity

How should we interpret the Byzantineconstruction techniques in thesebuildings?

The technical similarities and reuse of materials might be better viewed as anexpression of integration, rather thandomination.

The early Ottoman state was based oncooperation.

In sum, a new architecture of the new

Ottoman state can be defined as



Church ConversionsChurch Conversions

Church conversions are the bestexamples of cultural interchange.

In most instances, the physicaltransformation of the building wasminimal.

Even they did not destruct its figuraldecoration.

A minaret have been added on theexterior, a mihrab and other necessaryfurnishings on the interior.

This additional structures gave thebuilding a sort of transitional

appearance.



Wh M h d IIWhy Mehmed II so



Why Mehmed II soWhy Mehmed II sointerested in Byzantineinterested in Byzantine

traditiontradition Mehmed II knew his classical historylong before he arrived in Athens.

In fact, in addition to his Muslim

instructors, Mehmed II had twoEuropean tutors, one trained inGreek, the other in Latin.

He read ancient history and wasfamiliar with the life of Alexanderthe Great.

His actions and his concept of a world

empire were modeled on those of



Mehmed II andMehmed II andMachiavelliMachiavelli

In addition to his cultural interests,Mehmet II derived much of his politicalprogram from Western Europe.

Many scholars and historians comparedMehmed II with Machiavelli.

The greatest source of Machiavelli'sreputation is, of course, Prince (1532).

The main theme of this short book is

that all means may be resorted to forthe establishment and preservation of authority

“-- the end justifies the means –”



Turn back to firstTurn back to firstquestion?question?

Why did Mehmed II visit to Troy? Troy was more than simply a symbol of conquest. It also represented his ancestral home. Mehmet II and many others looked to antiquity to legitimize their

positions.

It was the common literary culture of the Mediterranean elite, bothEast and West.

Ottoman as an Empire composed of hybrid culture. Especially, Istanbul was imagined as a cosmopolit city by Mehmed

II.

Mehmed II’s policy towards the reconstruction of Constantinoplewas very different from the other newly conquered cities. As inthe case of other newly acquired cities, Turks and other Muslimpopulations from different regions of Anatolia was forced toimmigrate to newly conquest cities in order to provide securityand convert them into Islamic cities.

In the case of Istanbul Mehmed II forced Greek and different ethnicpopulations to settle in Istanbul as well as Muslim subjects

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