From East to West: Persian, Indian and Central European Themes Forming the Architectural Scenery in Early Modern Ottoman Culture

Abstract

This study aims to define the changes in architectural scenery and cityscape in Ottoman cultural life in early modern era, i.e. 18th century. It is aimed to complement intercultural relations in this age through surveying the foreign impacts on Ottoman architecture. Istanbul, as the capital city, the cultural center of the Ottoman Empire, located between the two worlds: the East and the West, considered as an ideal example for this study. The 18th century for Turkish architecture was a "receptive" age which combined with the wish for innovative experience in all manners, and can be identified as the century of "change". The exchange of artistic and technical models between the Ottoman cultural era and the rest of the world increased rapidly and extensively at the beginning of the century. In the first decades of the century new period of renewal, called as the "Tulip Period", appears. Beginning with this period traditional, introverted manner of the society began to change; they started to use the open and public areas more frequently for enjoying themselves. Small public buildings as libraries, primary schools, "sebils" and public fountains were built in major cities. The survey on Ottoman buildings of these decades shows us that different themes from India to Persia were used as source of "inspiration" to create this new decor for the architecture and public spaces. On the other hand in the middle of the century, some radical changes, completely deviated from the principals of traditional ones, appear in Ottoman architecture. It was in this period that the new style, later called, "Ottoman Baroque" was born. Local tradition revealed here an impressive ability for adaptation of Baroque methods and Rococo ornamentation. Ottoman architects and patrons, after 1740, seemed to prefer to use the Western Mediterranean and Central European iconography instead of the Eastern one as source of novelty. Still as a traditional society Ottomans tied to its past, sometimes resists to economic and political reforms; but it is interesting that the architectural transformations were easily accepted by great masses. Artisans developed, with remarkable rapidity, a synthesis of styles and freely borrowed forms from distant cultures and regions, and playfully took up themes both from Asia and Europe to decorate the cities. This innovative modeling brought a prosperous new way to Ottoman cityscape and architectural design in early modern period.