Ottoman Architecture: A Travel Through Time Essay

The poufs atomic number 18 among the capacious builders in history. Their computer architecture is basically focused on the construct of mosques which were not only meant for religious purposes save also to under hit social functions. Among the architects who construct a name in the pansy empire is Sinan, the imperial architect. As the honcho architect of the ottoman empire during Sultan Suleymans reign, he knowing mosques that exemplified beauty and grace. He derived his inspiration from the Byzantine Empires Hagia Sophia.The writing contains a discussion of the development of footstool architecture. It traces the roots of the puff b maneuverer from Iznik tiles and moves on to the classical current or the golden age fag architecture, the expiration of Western puzzle out, the revival of 14th and 15th coulomb designs and the trends that touch 19th century Ottoman architecture. It also elaborates on the overriding designs during these rate of flows and how th ey were achieved. At the end of the paper, at that place is a short discussion of the Byzantine cistern, the Yerebatan Sarnici or the sinking castling.Ottoman Architecture A Travel Through term The Ottoman Empire is considered as one of the greatest and strong-nigh in good order civilizations that thrived in the modern period, encompassing the early fourteenth century invariable into the twentieth century. The empires moment of glory in the sixteenth part century represents one of the heights of human optimism, artistry and creativity. They create the largest and most influential Muslim empires of the modern world,influencing the Muslim world as well and Europe in their forces expansions (Hooker, 1996).There are ii sources of Ottoman architecture the development of new architectural forms in Anatolia, peculiarly Manisa, Iznik, Bursa and Seeuk during the 14th and 15th centuries and Christian art (Telerama, n. d. ). The early Ottoman period which started in the 14th centur y was the peak of Turkish architecture. During this period Ottoman art was in search for new ideas to form a certain(prenominal) movement it can call its own. In this sideline for its own identity, wizard- edible beand, tiered and sublime-angled mosques were given birth (Sansal, 2008).Many arts were also developed during this period such as the production of Iznik tiles, used in decorating mosques and another(prenominal) buildings. Artists from Tabriz introduced to the Ottoman empire the technique of creating the tiles. According to Goodwin (cited in Telerama, n. d. ), the floral motifs of Iznik tiles were employ to typify a common motif of Islamic artparadise garden. From Iznik tiles, Ottoman architecture gradually developed to give course to the classical architectural modal value or the of the era of the domes.This period started when the Ottoman empire captured Constantinople, the em situation of eastern Christendom and making it its enceinte. It is here where they in troduced various innovations in the arts and architecture. The Ottoman rule in Constantinople led to the transformation of the great Byzantine church, the Hagia Sophia, to an imperial mosque. This architectural became the source of inspiration of the Ottoman architects (Yalman, n. d. ). The Great Mosque or the Ulu Cami which was strengthened in Bursa is the first Seljuk mosque that was converted into a dome.During this period, the building of Christian churches and the renovation of those in disrepair was prohibited by the Ottomans. The Ottoman rulers only tolerated the building of mosques for their Muslim faith. During this period, the intentions of the mosques included inner and outward courtyards. The inner courtyard is inwrought from the mosque. More than just a place of worship, mosques during the Ottoman period were looked upon by society as an interconnection of city planning and communal life.As evident in the pictures of structures during this period, beside the mosque were soup kitchens, hospitals, theological schools, Turkish baths and tombs (Sansal, 2008). The architectural style during the late 14th and 15th centuries illustrate mosques with a large dome on a drum over a prayer mansion house that has a rectangular shape. Others include mosques with two domes in a single line. Steirlin said that the two main domes, determined one behind the other, are the distinguishing feature of a form of mosque that prevailed in the Ottoman world (cited in Telerama, n. d. ).Mehmed II, sixth successor to the Ottoman throne, ascended the Ottoman throne in 1444, final result his reign in 1481. During his rule, he introduced an ambitious rebuilding program for the empire. He tasked his architects to construct castles and mosques, where the people could hold spiritual and social activities. Among the notable structures build during this period were the Old palace, the Topkapi palace and Fatih colonial (Yalman, n. d. ). The Topkapi palace, built in 1478, ser ved as the home of the sultans and the center of the Ottoman government for four hundred years. universe the seat of power for a long time, the original design of the palace changed through time. The architects during this period drew inspiration from Byzantine, Turkic and Perso-Islamic artistic repertoires. off from these art forms, the Ottoman architects were also swayed by Renaissance art. Mehmed II was transfixed with the development of art in western Europe as well as Persian art. As a result thereof, European and Iranian artists infiltrated the Ottoman court and affected the kind of art and structures that were built during this period (Yalman, n. d. ).However, Mehmed IIs building programs only indicated the start of the flourishing of art and architecture in the Ottoman society. The Ottoman empire reached its zenith of splendor and power during the reign of Sultan Suleyman I, also known as The Magnificent. organism an avid fan of the arts and architecture, Ottoman architec ture also began to take shape during his rule. Sinan, his architect, dominated Ottoman art. He patterned the structures that he built afterwards Byzantine traditions and derived great influence from Hagia Sophia (MSN Encarta Online Encyclopedia, 2008).Mosques and religious complexes were built by Sinan and hundreds of public buildings were erected passim the Ottoman empire. These buildings contributed to the dissemination and flourishing of Ottoman stopping point to the world (Yalman, n. d. ). Sinan built to a greater extent than 300 structures in the Ottoman empire. He constructed at least 120 buildings in Constantinople and another 200 wide scattered across the empire. As the imperial architect, he took Ottoman architecture to new heights of style and grace (Whiting, 2000).Among the famous structures that he built were the following the Sehzade kulliye (1548), and the Suleyman kulliye (after 1550) and his masterpiece, the Selim mosque at Edrine, Tur (1569-1575). These buildings reflect clarity and logic in plan and elevation. Every part was intended for a purpose and contributes to the whole structure, no unnecessary element was added. The central feature of architecture during the reign of Sinan is the dome everything that was added to the building should complement and subordinate it.A cascade of descending one-half domes buttresses and vaults as well as open spaces were the prevalent designs during this period. The masterpieces which Sinan created was the final ne plus ultra of two great traditions a stylistic and aesthetic tradition that had been indigenous to Istanbul since the construction of the Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia in the 6th century and the other Islamic tradition of domical construction dating to the 10th century (The Ottomans, 2002). The unsubdivided yet aesthetic touch that Ottoman architects exhibited in their craft is repayable to their military training.Sinan and other Ottoman architects were initially trained to be military engineers (The Ottomans, 2002). Sinan was the chief architect of the Ottoman empire. He drew his inspiration from the Hagia Sophia, a 1000 year old Christian Basilica of the Byzantine empire. In creating his masterpiece, the Suleymaniye Mosque (1550-57) in Istanbul, he achieved the effect of lilting through the use of 138 bowing windows. He also used a rich marble overlayer and stalactite decorations. Sinan also adopted the design of Hagia Sophia, adding a little twist.Instead of a central-domed significant with two flanking half domes, he created a complete square and surmounted it with a big central dome which he set on a high drum and ringed it with smaller domes with minarets on the corners of the small domes (MSN Encarta online encyclopedia, 2008). The mosque which Sinan built was more than just a mosqueit was a complex of buildings housing baths, soup kitchens, schools and shops. The innovation that he introduced to the design of the Hagia Sophia eliminated the use of colu mns thus, there are no obstructions to view, light and air (Roberson, 1998).Windows, domes and arches dominated the 16th and seventeenth century Ottoman architecture. The Sinan style architecture emphasizes unity and coordination. No reckon how small a part is, it is not neglected hence the architect sees to it that its design compliments with the whole. During this period, Ottoman architecture played a greater role than just building structures. The proliferation of building mosques and other edifice be Ottoman power. The imperial architects followed a centralized design and implemented this throughout the empire.They also followed a standardized architecture to Ottomanize the formerly Mamluk territories. However, the architectural designs that were prevalent in the provinces did not exactly copy the architectural designs of structures in the capital of the empire. The designs in the rural areas had to conform with the available materials and skilled labor. The structures which w ere patronized by the provinces were the fountains, avanserais and building complexes which transformed the functions of the cities. Most of the mosques also exhibited hemisphirical domes and pencil-shaped minarets (Zeitlian, 2004).According to Baer (1989, p. 687), the highly furnish exteriors of Ottoman architecture reversed the standard Islamic preference in mosques which is to stress the interior at the expense of the exterior. However, the greatness of Ottoman architectures Golden Age waned in the eighteenth century, when architects deviated from classical architectural principles and adopted European styles. Baroque, Ampir and Rococo styles as well as overweening Western decorations influenced the architecture of the period. Fountains also proliferated the structures that were then built (Sansal, 2008).Sinans influence to Ottoman architecture almost disappeared in the 19th century. During this period, Abdul Aziz and Sultan Abdulhamit II and other architects began to search fo r an international identity of Ottoman architecture. In their quest for this identity, the architects did not look back to the classic Ottoman architecture of Sinan but to earlier architectural stylesthe 14th and 15th century style in Turkey, 12th to 14th century styles in Andalusia particularly Seville and Granada in Spain and the seventeenth and 18th century styles in Moghul India.The innovations that 19th century architects introduced were more evident in the interior rather than the exteriors, which tolerateed to be influenced by the West. They retained an outward acceptance of western traditions and culture but kept the affectionateness and the heart of their craft to Islamic traditions. The prevalence of this kind of art exemplifies not just a simple act of change, but an indication of the empires visions. The Ottoman rulers in the second half of the 19th century stressed their leadership of the Sunni Muslims worldwide, thus the need to adopt foreign architectural styles an d infusing it with Islamic traditions.The style that prevailed during this period is known as the new Ottoman Caliphal Islamic style. This style utilise carved and painted woods with Kufi calligraphy, onion domes, horseshoe arches, towers and finials, use of flat areas of low relief and an exterior style of tile work (Duggan, 2002). According to Kuban (2001), the 19th century Ottoman architecture was not only limited to the erecting of mosques. This period also gave way for the building of churches however, literature delving on this century of Ottoman architecture snap to touch this topic.Ottoman architecture remained to be Muslim from the capture of Constantinople until the 18th century. During this period, the renovation and building of Christian churches was prohibited. Thus, no development on church architecture emerged. However, this rule changed by the end of the 18th century when legitimate and social rights were given to non-Muslims. By the 19th century, churches were b uilt, some of them even adopting the styles that were employed in mosques such as the archs which were evident on the churchs interior.However, before growth of Ottoman architecture in Constantinople, the city already housed great architectural works. Aside from the famous Hagia Sophia, a beautiful architectural piece by itself, the Basilica cistern was built. It is located about southwesterly of the famous Hagia Sophia and served as one of the historical structures of Istanbul. This cistern contained a great number of marble columns that arose out of the water, thus the name sinking palace. The cistern was built during the rule of Emperor Justinianus. It is believed that seven thousand slaves worked on the cistern.The water that placed on such cistern came from the Egrikap? Water statistical distribution Centre in Belgrade Forest. The plan for the cistern was created by a group of German divers. Within the cistern are 336 columns which reflect the corinth and dor types, are nine m eters high and are arranged in 12 rows. The place upright for the ceiling are cross shaped vaults and round arches. Since its foundation, the cistern has undergone numerous reparations and restorations. The cistern which can hold up to 100,000 tons of water, provided the water utilized in the palace of the Byzantine empire.During the conquest of the Ottomans, the cistern supplied water to the Topkapi palace. However, after the Ottomans have established their own water facilities, they ceased using the cistern as they preferred to use running water rather than still water. The cistern remained to be a secret from the west until the discovery by Dutch traveler who was studying the remains of the Byzantine empire. The cistern was transformed into a museum after undergoing reparations and restorations from 1985 to 1987.The cistern again went through deep cleaning in 1994 (Yerebatan Sarnici, n. d. ). Despite the numerous years that passed, the influences of Ottoman architecture still re main to be a source of awe and inspiration in the erection of buildings. The functional designs of Sinan, the employment of numerous windows to allow more air and light to circulate and the elimination of the use of too much columns in a structure to give more emphasis to the center serve as great contribution to modern day architecture.