6.12.

2021

Fatih’s portrait by Gentile Bellini (1479)

15th & 16th Centuries

CLASSICAL OTTOMAN 15TH CENTURY

ARCHITECTURE MAKING OF ISTANBUL

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Edirne Palace
• Started by Murad II; Completed by Mehmed II
• Composed around several courtyards
• Marked with several imperial gates
• Established by the river
• Horizontal layout
• Severeal distinguishing vertical elements

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From Edirne to Istanbul Before the Conquest

• Mehmed II (Fatih / Conqueror) (1451-1481)
• Edirne as the capital
• Siege of Constantinople
• Conquest of Constantinople, May 29th , 1453
• Reconstruction of the new capital
• Ottomanization of Constantinople
• Previous sieges of Constantinople
• Control of the Bophorus
• Anadolu Hisari / Castle by Beyazit
• Rumeli Hisari / Castle by Mehmed II

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Fatih’s Architectural Program

• Conversion of Hagia Sophia to a Mosque
• Fatih Kulliye / Complex
• Old Palace at Beyazit
• New (Topkapi) Palace
• Bedesten (Grand Bazaar)
• Yedikule Castle
• Renovation of the city
• Intense building program of his viziers

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Hagia Sophia
• Red Apple
• First prayer after the conquest
• Addition of a timber minaret
• Mihrab & Minbar
• Islamic Calligraphy
• Preservation of the miniatures

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25 26 27

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Eyup Sultan Mosque

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzGLBs
W8fcQ&t=6s
• Outside the city walls
• Abu Ayyub al-Ansari was one of the companions
of Prophet Mohammad and took part in the first
Arab siege of Constantinople during the 7th
century
• His burial site was “miraculously” discovered
during the siege of Constantinople by the
Ottomans
• Mehmed II declared the site as sacred and built a
shrine that included a türbe and mosque named
after the saintly figure Ayyub

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Fatih Kulliye / Complex

• Built on the Church of Holy Apostles and the tomb of
Constantine
• Grand Complex manifesting the power of the
Ottoman sultan, 1462-69
– Sultanic Mosque
– 16 Madrasas -
– Soup Kitchen (Imarethane) & Hospice (Darüşşifa)
– Guest House (Tabhane) & School
– Tomb (Türbe), Library & Bath
• Geometric & Symmetric Planning (Italian impact?)
• Dome diameter: 26 meter
• Destroyed in the earthquake of 1766 and rebuilt Byzantine Church of Holy Apostles

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40 41 42

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Religious Complexes of the Ruling Elite

• Mehmed II ordered his viziers and governors to

build the newly conquered city
• Religious complexes and palaces were built by:
• Grand vizier Mahmud Pasha
• Grand vizier Rum Mehmed Pasha
• Governor Has Murad Pasha

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Mahmud Pasha Complex

• Built by Grand vizier Mahmud Pasha
• Of Byzantine aristocratic origin
• Central location, between the (Old) Palace and
the main mosque (Hagia Sophia)
• Convent Mosque (Bursa type plan)
• Mausoleum, Madrasa, Bath, Fountain
• Organic layout on topography

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Mehmed Pasha Pasha Complex

• Built by Grand vizier Rum Mehmed Pasha
• Member of the Byzantine aristocracy
• Located in Üsküdar, at Asian side of Istanbul
• Convent Mosque (Bursa type plan)
• Madrasa; Mausoloem
• Byzantine building techniques

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Yedikule Towers
• Treasury and security point
• Built on the ceremonial entrance to the city:
Golden Gate opening to “Mese”
• Inspired from European (Italian) military
architecture
• 7 towers with the towers flanking the Golden
Gate
• Manifesting power and authority of the new
rulership

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Grand Bazaar
• First “shopping mall” of the world
• Closed and secure area for trade and shopping
• Cevahir Bedesten (First)
• Sandal Bedesten (Second)
• Enlargement in later centuries

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Old Palace
• First palace of Mehmed II constructed at the
city center
• Built on Forum Tauri
• Today’s Beyazit Square, Süleymaniye and
Beyazit Complexes
• Known as Saray-i Atik after the construction of
a new palace at the tip of the peninsula
• Used as the residence of the royal family and
sultan’s harem

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New (Topkapi) Palace

• Saray-i Cedide-i Amire
• The second palace built at Byzantine Acropolis
• Magnificent location at the tip of the
peninsula (Seraglio)
• Surrounded with Byzantine sea-walls and
Fatih’s land-walls (Sur-i sultani)
• Devoted to state affairs and education of
palace pages

85 86 87

Topkapi Palace
• Built between 1460-1478
• 700,000 square meters
• Land and Sea walls
• Several Land gates and Sea gates
• 4 successive courtyards from public to private
• 3 main Ceremonial Gates
• City within the city with multiple functions and
thousands of population
• Embodiment of Fatih’s Kanunname
• Following the same architectural configuration
for centuries
Topkapi Palace Museum Archives

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1st Court (Alay Meydani)

• Birun (External) services
• Semi-public zone
• Imperial Gate (Bab-i Humayun)
• Hospital
• Depots
• Bread Bakers
• St. Irene as armory

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Bab-ı Hümayun

ARCHITECTURAL CHANGE
PROLOGUE

I II

Bab-I Humayun, by Melling, 18th century First Court of the Topkapi Palace (Fossati, c.1840)

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St Irene - Armory

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Bab-üs Selam / Middle Gate

2nd Court (Divan Meydani)

• Dedicated for state affairs & ceremonials
• Private area with controlled access through
CEREMONIAL CONTINUITY
Middle Gate (Bab-us Selam)
• Divan (the Council Hall)
• The Tower of Justice (Adalet Kulesi)
• Royal Kitchens & Royal Stables (Has Ahir)
• External Treasury
II • The Gate of Felicity (Bab-us Saade)

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Bab-üs Selam / Middle Gate

ARCHITECTURAL CHANGE

III

Map of the Topkapi Palace (Cornelius Gurlitt, c.1910)

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Tower of Justice
PROLOGUE

II

Second Court of the Topkapi Palace (Melling, c.1800)

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Kubbealtı / Divan External Treasury

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Royal Kitchens

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Bab-üs Saade / Gate of Felicity

CEREMONIAL CONTINUITY

CEREMONIAL CONTINUITY

II II

Culus Ceremony of Selim III (1789, Konstantin Kapidagli) Cülus of Caliphate Abdulmecid (1922, Albert Kahn les Archives de la Planete)

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3rd Court (Enderun Avlusu)

• Enderun (inner) part of the palace
• Most secluded and private section where the
sultan lives
• Enderun school where palace pages were
educated
• Audience Hall (Arz Odasi)
• Enderun Library & Mosque
• Imperial Treasury

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Audience Hall
ARCHITECTURAL CHANGE

II

3rd Court of the Topkapı Palace (Abdurrahman Şeref, c.1910)

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Imperial Library
CONTINUITY / CHANGE

II

Entrance of Hırka-I Saddet (1922, Albert Kahn les Archives de la Planete)

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Hırka-I Saadet Chamber Has Oda / Hırka-I Saadet Chamber Imperial Treasury

127 128 129

Harem
• Where the sultan lives with his immediate
family
• Female quarter of the palace
• Totally secluded and private
• Guarded by Black Eunuchs
• Started to enlarge during the 16th century
• Complex structure and ultimate hierarchy

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Karağalar Taşlığı
Harem Gözdeler Taşlığı

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Murad III Has Oda

Hünkar Sofası

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Valide Sultan Odası

Fruit Room - Ahmed III Dining Room

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Hünkar Hamamı

4th Court (The Outer Gardens)

• Pleasure gardens, terraces, and hanging gardens
• Private kiosks of the rulers and shore pavilions
• Baghdad kiosk
• Revan Kiosk
• Cinili Kioks
• Mecidiye Kiosk
• Demolished waterfront kiosks (Incli Kiosk, Yali
Kiosk, Ishakiye Kiosk etc.)

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Baghdad Kiosk, 17th century

Tiled Pavilion (Çinili Köşk), 15th century

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Revan Kiosk, 17th century

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Marble Sofa

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Sofa Kiosk, 18th century Mecidiye Kiosk, 19th century

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MUSEUMIFICATION

III

Ottoman Imperial Museum

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Yalı Kiosk, 16th century İncili Kiosk, late 16th century

Non Existing Kiosks
• İncili Köşk
• Yalı Köşkü
• Sinan Paşa Köşkü
• Şevkiye Köşkü
• İshakiye Kasrı
• Alay Köşkü
• Abdülaziz Köşkü
• (Sepetçiler Kasrı) – Existing Structure

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Sepetçiler Kiosk, 17th century

Topkapusu Sahilsarayı, 18th century

II

Panorama (M. B. Dunn , c.1850)

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