History and Theory of Architecture II

Ottoman Empire

Instructor:
Dr. Naubada Ali
Introduction
+The Ottoman Empire was one of the mightiest and longest-lasting
dynasties in world history. This Islamic-run superpower ruled large
areas of the Middle East, Eastern Europe and North Africa for more than
600 year
At its height, the Ottoman Empire included the following
regions:

Turkey
Greece
Bulgaria
Egypt
Hungary
Macedonia
Romania
Jordan
Palestine
Lebanon
Syria
Some of Arabia
A considerable amount of the North African
coastal strip
Background

+Turkish tribes in Anatolia (Asia Minor) that grew to be one of the most powerful
states in the world during the 15th and 16th centuries. The Ottoman period
spanned more than 600 years and came to an end only in 1922, when it was
replaced by the Turkish Republic and various successor states in southeastern
Europe and the Middle East..
 MERGING TRADITIONS
+Both early Ottoman capitals alongside Iznik, a town near Bursa conquered in 1331,
preserve a large number of early Ottoman buildings. These modest in scale but
ambitious structures can be viewed as Ottoman variations on traditional themes.
However, their experimental plans and novel ideas cannot be explained without
taking into account the main outside influence on the Ottomans, which was
Byzantium.
DOMED SPACES

+The predominance of domes found within Ottoman architecture has been

attributed to both an Islamic tradition developed by the Seljuks and a
Byzantine influence. However, it is in the treatment of space under the dome
and in the techniques adopted in order to support it that Ottoman originality
and Byzantine inheritance are better demonstrated. The earliest surviving
Ottoman mosques were cubic buildings crowned with relatively large domes
resting on pendentives or squinches that bridged the triangular spaces
between the corners of the walls and the perimeter of the domes. However, it
was their builders’ constant concern to expand the space under the dome
without breaking up its unity with bulky supports or blind walls. An easy
solution was to increase the number of domes and place them on arches
resting on columns or pillars.
 EARLY
EXPERIMENTATION
+The Ulu Cami (Great Mosque) in Bursa,
built in 1396–1400 for Sultan Bayezid I
(reigned 1389–1402), is the most
representative example of this
multidomed type. Despite its significant
ground area, the forest of 12 columns
necessary to support 20 domes marred
the desired feeling of expansiveness. The
same problem had been faceda thousand
years earlier by the builders of the Early
Christian period, and several solutions
had been proposed, most popular being
the domed cross-in-square plan, in which
a central domed square space is
surrounded by eight square spaces of
Ulu Cami’i is considered the fifth most important
equal or similar proportions.
mosque in Islam, after those in Mecca, Medina,
Jerusalem, and Damascus
The impressive 15th-century Uc Serefeli Mosque (1438–47) was the first in Edirne to have a large courtyard
adjoining the prayer hall.
+The Eski Cami Mosque in Edirne
(1403–14) can be viewed either as a
concentrated version of the Ulu
Cami, with only nine domes
supported by four pillars, or as a of
the nine-bay solution, a plan not
unknown to Islamic architecture but
better developed within the
Byzantine world. Further proof of
the Byzantine origin of this idea is
the late 14th century Didymoteicho
Mosque, in which the central bay is
wider and crowned with a dome,
whereas the surrounding eight bays
are smaller and covered with barrel Huge square pillars inside the early 15th-century Eski Çami
in Edirne, support the arches and
or cross vaults.
+This arrangement appears
frequently in Byzantine
buildings that were scattered
within the newly conquered
Balkans, for example at the
1028 church of Panagia ‘ton
Chalkeon’, in the administrative
and trade centre of
Thessaloniki, conquered in
1430.
+Given the conscious adoption of a Byzantine prototype for most
Ottoman mosques after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, it
would be reasonable to assume that a similar desire to include
Byzantine, and ultimately Roman, imperial elements within the designs
of early Ottoman architecture had encouraged these experimental
plans, although they proved to be short-lived.
 Uc Serefeli Mosque
+Nevertheless, the century that
predated the 1453 conquest has
offered innovative buildings. An
elegant example is the Uc Serefeli
Mosque (1438–47) in Edirne, built
for Murad II (reigned 1421–44,
1445–51) and featuring a 24-m (79-
ft) wide dome resting unusually on a
hexagon instead of a square or
octagon. The side pillars prevent
unimpeded views of the four side
bays, but the effect is novel and
challenging, and is unique within
the Ottoman architectural canon.
 CONSTANTINOPLE
(ISTANBUL)
+Istanbul, the Turkish version of the Greek words
eis ten polin, or ‘to the City’, became the official
name of the city on the Bosphorus only as late as
1930. Until that date, it was still called
Constantinople, ‘the city of Constantine’, a name
reflecting its Roman and Byzantine imperial past.
The grandeur of this capital of three successive
empires inspired several sieges by Muslim rulers,
but the prize of conquest was reserved for Sultan
Mehmet II (reigned 1444–46, 1451–81), who
consequently assumed the epithet of Fatih,‘the
Conqueror.’
 THE FATIH MOSQUE
+The first mosque to be built in the
soon-to-be-regenerated capital still bears
the same name, Fatih Mosque (1462–
70), and despite collapsing and being
reconstructed in 1771, it retains its
original plan. Like the pre-1453
mosques of Bursa, Edirne and
Didymoteicho, it has a large central
domed roof and some lateral bays.
The Fatih Mosque
+The Fatih Mosque (Turkish: Fatih Cami), meaning ‘Mosque of the Conqueror’ was the first purpose-
built mosque in Istanbul. It’s named after the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, known in
Turkish as Fatih Sultan Mehmed.
+The mosque was built on the site of one of the most important Christian buildings in the city at the
time, the Church of the Holy Apostles. Up until 1028 CE, the church had been the burial place of
all Byzantine emperors (including Constantine) but had been left in a poor condition. Construction
of the mosque began ten years after the Conquest of Istanbul, in 1463 CE and lasted seven years.
+The outer precinct of the mosque is quite large, having been built to accommodate the tents of a
caravan. It’s enclosed by a wall and, to the north and south, by the madrassa (religious school)
buildings, which accommodated the first Ottoman university. The inner courtyard of the mosque is
regarded as one of the most beautiful in the city
+The original mosque complex
included madressas (religious
schools), library, hospital, travellers
inn, and a public kitchen which
served food to the poor. Much of
the building material for the
mosque complex came from the
demolished church, such as some
of the pillars in the courtyard. It was
designed by the Greek architect
Atik Sinan (Sinan the Elder).
 Outer precinct of the mosque
+The outer precinct of the mosque is quite
large, having been built to accommodate the
tents of a caravan. It’s enclosed by a wall and,
to the north and south, by the madrassa
(religious school) buildings, which
accommodated the first Ottoman university.
The inner courtyard of the mosque is
regarded as one of the most beautiful in the
city.
+The present mosque features a central 26
meter dome supported by four semi-domes
on each axis which are all supported by four
large marble columns. There are two slender
minarets on either side.
Interior of the Fatih Mosque
• The interior of the Fatih Mosque shows a distinct Baroque influence and has a
more subdued look compared to many of the other major mosques in Istanbul.
• The tombs of Mehmet II and of one of his wives, Gulbahar, are situated to the east
of the mosque. The originals were destroyed in the earthquake.
• The largest street market in Istanbul takes place around the Fatih Mosque every
Wednesday, selling food, clothing and household goods.
 THE HAGIA SOPHIA

+This effect was undoubtedly inspired by the

patriarchal church of Byzantine Constantinople and
eventually mosque of the Ottomans, Hagia Sophia.

+a building laden with imperial connotations. Built

between 532 and 537, it was an inventive and short-
lived answer to the problem of a large floor area
sheltered by a domed roof. The ‘Hagia Sophia plan’
was popular with Ottoman builders and
characterized 16th century mosque architecture.
Hagia Sophia
+The original ‘Hagia Sophia plan,’ as in the 6th-century cathedral, was finished with
a second semidome opposite, creating an elongated oval shell. The complete version
first appeared in the Sultan Bayezid Mosque in Istanbul, built for Bayezid II
(reigned 1481–1512) around the turn of the century, in which the central core
(semidome) was flanked to the right and left by eight domes arranged over eight
bays.
Sinan (1489–1588)
+The most faithful Ottoman version of the plan was erected between 1550 and 1557
by Sinan (1489–1588), the principal architect of the Ottoman Empire, for Sultan
Suleyman ‘the Magnificent’ (reigned 1520–66).The Suleymaniye Mosque, the high
point of classical Istanbul architecture, bears a striking resemblance to the Byzantine
cathedral in both proportions and ground plan, although the lofty arches opening
to the right and left toward the side bays represent a step forward by alleviating the
restricting effect of the church’s side walls.
 BEYOND THE PROTOTYPE
+While little innovation can be seen in the floor plans of sultanic mosques
because they adhere to a venerated prototype, the architectural designs of
smaller buildings are often more original.
+The graceful Sehzade Mosque, built by Sinan in 1543 to commemorate the
son of Suleyman It was a symmetrical departure from the Hagia Sophia
plan. Two lateral semidomes balancing the ones on and opposite the qibla
side create a strong central focus complementing the single large dome. The
pillars carrying the main arches are pushed toward the outside walls to
allow the play of curved surfaces on the top half of the building’s interior
to counterbalance the strong vertical lines of the supports. By this stage,
walls are simple screens bridging the gaps between load-bearing elements
and they are profusely pierced with stained-glass windows in symmetrical
arrangements
+Buildings other than mosques, erected around the Ottoman Empire in great
numbers, were built within the traditions of earlier Islamic architecture.
Surrounding mosques and supporting them financially were complexes of shops
and hammams (bathhouses), creating income to cover the running costs of mosques
and charitable institutions complementing their social role, such as imarets (public
kitchens) and madrasas (religious colleges)
THE CLASSICAL ERA
.

The grandeur of the classical Ottoman mosques is not only due to their vast size,
ground plan and height but also to their interior decoration. Cladded with iznik tiles
and dressed stone, and embellished with stained glass and furniture, 16th-century
ottoman mosques are among the glories of Islamic architecture. The balance between
light and dark, straight and curved lines, empty space and decorative excess reaches its
pinnacle in the works of the master builder Sinan.
INTERIOR DECORATION
The striking colours of the tiles that adorn the
buildings have preserved the splendor of decorative
schemes from the 16th century.
This is often not true of other decorative materials:
few stained-glass windows have survived, and the
wall paintings have often been renewed several times
since first executed.

The floral pattern on the tiles in

the Rustem Pasha Mosque in cludesan
innovativered colour
Rustam Pasha Mosque
Sinan’s Rustam Pasha Mosque (1561–
63) in Istanbul, commissioned by the
Grand Wazir and son-in-law of
Suleyman ‘the Magnificent’, is an
architecturally unassuming edifice
with an ornate interior featuring a
profusion of tiles arranged in panels
on the walls both inside and under
the front porch. The splendor and
expense of the decorations enhanced
the visual impact of the building.
 Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Mosque
Even more impressive is the tile cladding of
the Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Mosque (1571–
72), again by Sinan, for the successor of
Rustem Pasha. In this simple domed space
with four semidomes over the side bays, the
stone surfaces of the walls and bearing
elements are only selectively embellished
with tiles, custom-made to fit specific
spaces. The beautiful effect achieved,
despite the unremarkable architecture must
have been worthy compensation for the
time and effort needed. The survival in
more-or-less original form of the stained-
glass windows completes the image of a
restrained yet elegant interior.
+It is said that in Istanbul monuments
grow from the city, but the Selimiye
grows from the land. The dome is of the
same diameter as Hagia Sophia but is
higher. The pencil-shaped minarets,
grooved to express verticality, are some
of the tallest ever built. The mosque
plan, like the Sehzade Mosque,
comprises two equal parts, one
open(the spacious court) and one
covered (the mosque).
BUILDING DONORS
The relation between the donors who funded the building of both of these mosques
and the sultan emphasizes the social and political dimension of such religious
foundations. The ruler’s family and high officials of the empire erected extravagant
public structures as status symbols advertising their donors’ munificence and power
to the capital’s citizens. Women of the imperial family were also great builders.
Mihrimah Sultana, daughter of Suleyman ‘the Magnificent’ and wife of Rüstem
Pasha, erected a mosque near the Edirne Gate of Istanbul’s walls between 1562 and
1565. The choice of architect was unsurprising: Sinan’s dense fenestration of the
elevated cube under the dome dematerializes the Mihrimah Sultana Mosque’s
structure; he would fully deploy this decorative device a decade later in Edirne’s
Selimiye Mosque.
 THE ARCHITECT SINAN
Sinan was the most important mimar (architect) in
Istanbul and his long career spanning the reigns of
three sultans, from the early 16th century to his
death in 1588, marks the classical period of
Ottoman architecture. A cross between a civil
engineer, an architect and a minister of public
works with a portfolio of hundreds of monuments
across the Ottoman dominion, Sinan was revered
even in his own lifetime. His masterpiece is the
light filled, delicately detailed Selimiye Mosque,
built in Edirne (1569–75) for Selim II (reigned
1566–74). With this mosque he claimed to have
surpassed Hagia Sophia in building a larger dome.
 Interior of the mosque
The distribution of interior space under the vast
dome, which rests on eight arches supported
alternately by semidomes and window-pierced
walls.
The arches spring from capital-free pillars that
recede toward the outside of the building,
creating a huge unified space unobstructed by
structural elements. The multitude of glazed
windows admits abundant daylight, forming an
open-air, ethereal illusion. In the Selimiye
Mosque, Ottoman architecture had truly
surpassed its prototype, pushing the capacity of
building materials and geometry to their limits.
 Haseki Bath - Istanbul

Located between Sultan Ahmed

Mosque and Hagia Sophia, and
ordered by Hurrem Sultan to be
built, this bath maintains its
magnificence even today.
Its giant dome evokes admiration.
Haseki Bath, also known as
Hurrem Sultan Bath, is one of the
touristic baths of Istanbul.
Mihrimah Sultan Mosque - Istanbul

Located in Üsküdar, Istanbul,

Mihrimah Sultan Mosque
means sun and moon. The
directions of the mosque
building are used skillfully. In
April and May, the sunrise and
moonrise can be watched
between the two minarets.
 Süleymaniye Mosque - Istanbul

Being one of the works that Sinan

the Architect built in his early years,
Süleymaniye Mosque magnificently
completes the silhouette of
Istanbul. There are many rumors
about the making of Süleymaniye
Mosque. These rumors especially
focus on the mortar of the minaret.
Süleymaniye Mosque is one of the
leading works of the traditional
Ottoman architecture. This mosque
was also built as a part of
Süleymaniye Social Complex.
Architectural Elevations of the Süleymaniye Mosque
 Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque - Erzurum
Being the first Ottoman mosque
in Erzurum, this mosque was
ordered by Lala Mustafa Pasha to
be built. Being a part of the social
complex, the mosque is at the
center of Erzurum. This place is
visited by thousands of local and
foreign tourists every year.
Rüstem Pasha Caravansary - Erzurum
Being ordered by Rüstem Pasha to be
built by Sinan the Architect between
1554 and 1561, Rüstem Pasha
Caravansary still functions today.
Throughout all these years the
building went under only one
restoration which took place in 1970.
Also known as Taş Han (Stone
Caravansary) and Rüstem Pasha
Covered Bazaar, this caravansary plays
host to the craftsmen who are dealing
with jet stone
 Selimiye Mosque - Edirne
Located in Edirne, Selimiye
Mosque is one of the mastership
works of Sinan the Architect.
After entering the temporary
world heritage list of UNESCO in
2000, it was officially registered in
2011. Selimiye Mosque has a very
important place in Ottoman
architecture in terms of
calligraphy, ceramics, and marble.
Selimiye Mosque - Edirne
The single great dome supported
by eight pillars with its four
soaring minarets it dominates
the city skyline. The innovative
structural design allowed
numerous windows creating an
extraordinary illuminated
interior. The mosque complex
was recognized by Sinan himself
as his most important
architectural work.
Behram Pasha Mosque - Diyarbakır
+Being ordered by Diyarbakır
Governor Behram Pasha to be
built, this mosque was completely
made out of cut stone. Behram
Pasha Mosque exactly represents
the local architecture of Diyarbakır.
Being one of the precious works of
Sinan the Architect, Behram Pasha
Mosque has a perfect stonemasonry
inside and outside.
Kırkçeşme Aqueduct - Istanbul
+Kırkçeşme Aqueduct was the
biggest water complex of its
time. Consisting of 33 huge
aqueducts, this structure was
designed for the water need
of Istanbul. Built between
1554 and 1560 to bring
water from Belgrad Forest,
this structure is a total
engineering masterpiece.
 Mağlova Aqueduct - Istanbul

Being one of the masterpieces of the

world aqua architecture, Mağlova
Aqueduct is in 257m length and
35m height. Having a 450-year
history, this aqueduct is in the
UNESCO World Cultural Heritage
List. This aqueduct is one of the
must-see works of Sinan the
Architect.
Ottoman Art and Science
+The Ottomans were known for their achievements in art, science and
medicine. Istanbul and other major cities throughout the empire were
recognized as artistic hubs, especially during the reign of Suleiman the
Magnificent.
+Some of the most popular forms of art included calligraphy, painting, poetry,
textiles and carpet weaving, ceramics and music.
+Ottoman architecture also helped define the culture of the time. Elaborate
mosques and public buildings were constructed during this period.
+Science was regarded as an important field of study. The Ottomans learned
and practiced advanced mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, physics,
geography and chemistry.
+Additionally, some of the greatest advances in medicine were made by the
Ottomans. They invented several surgical instruments that are still used
today, such as forceps, catheters, scalpels, pincers and lancets.