Art of ottoman Empire - Before & After 1600 BC

 

Before 1600 BC

At its inception in the early fourteenth century, the Osmanli or Ottoman Empire was one of many empires that emerged as a result of the dissolution of the Seljuq sultanate in Anatolia and subsequent instability caused by the Mongol empire. The dictatorial Ottoman Empire, bordering the Islamic world, gradually absorbed the Byzantine territories of Anatolia and the Balkans. In 1453, this expansion led to the Ottoman ban on Constantinople, the capital of Eastern Christendom. With the defeat of the Mamluk empire in 1517, the Ottomans ruled over the most powerful empire in the Islamic world. In the middle of the sixteenth century, the continued military success in the region from Central Europe to the Indian Ocean gave the Ottomans the status of world power.

In the arts, there is a shortage of material that existed from the earliest Ottoman period, but it is clear from the surviving buildings that Byzantine, Mamluk, and Persian cultures combined to form the vocabulary of Ottoman art. Significant changes have taken place with the establishment of new capital in the Byzantine region of Constantinople. After the victory, Hagia Sophia, a large Byzantine church, was converted to Islam and became a source of encouragement to Ottoman architects. Mehmet II ) regarded the city as the center of his growing empire and embarked on a grand reconstruction program. He sent two palaces (The Old and the New, later Topkapi, palaces) and a Muslim church (Mehmetiye, which later became the Fatih complex), which included religious, educational, social, and commercial activities. In his commissions, Mehmet drew Turkish, Persian, and Byzantine artistic expressions.  He was interested in development in western Europe. Ottoman, Iranian, and European artists and scholars flocked to Mehmet's courtroom, making him one of the greatest Renaissance emperors of his time.

Under Mehmet's successors, his eclectic style, reflecting a mixed Ottoman heritage, was gradually incorporated into Ottoman art vocabulary. Further expansion of the area brought some additions to this vocabulary. Most importantly, the defeat of the Safavids in the war in eastern Anatolia (1514) and the addition of the Mamluks in Syria, Egypt, and the Holy Cities of Islam (Mecca and Medina) in the Ottoman Empire under Selim I, led to an increase in the presence of Iranian and Arab artists and scholars in the Ottoman court.

Süleyman's reign often referred to as the "Golden Age," was characterized by expansion, trade, and economic growth, as well as a cultural and artistic activity. Süleyman's years saw the rise of Ottoman art and culture. Among the major achievements of this period were the temples and religious buildings built by Sinan, one of the most famous Muslim architects. Hundreds of public buildings were designed and built throughout the Ottoman Empire, contributing to the spread of Ottoman culture. In the period following Süleyman's death, construction and artwork resumed under the support of the royal family and the ruling class. Commissions continue outside the state capital, with many sacred foundations established throughout the state.

By the end of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, progress was being made in all fields of art, where architecture, calligraphy, hand painting, textiles, and pottery were of paramount importance. Apart from Istanbul, various cities in the provinces are also considered major centers of the arts and commerce: Znik was famous for its pottery, Bursa for silk and textiles, Cairo for carpet production, and Baghdad for its art. Ottoman observation has had a profound effect on the various regions under its control. Aside from local diversity, the legacy of 16th-century Ottoman art is still evident in monuments from the Balkans to the Caucasus, from Algeria to Baghdad, and the Crimea to Yemen, including signature objects such as celestial houses, small pencils - standing minarets, and standing courts with home arches.

After 1600 BC :

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, both the production of Ottoman literature and architecture remained traditional. The court scriptorium went on to publish its own series of used documents - biographies, travel accounts, genealogies, and geographical locations - many of which were displayed or illuminated. The Ahmet I Mosque in Istanbul (1609-16), also known as the "Blue Mosque" due to the internal system of tiles, continues in the vocabulary of Sinan's great artist (c. 1500-1588).

Later in the century, the weak Ottoman economy began to undermine the arts. The influx of gold and silver from the New World has caused inflation and the treasury to dwindle without a victory in the war and the spoils to fill the coffers. The Sultans were forced to reduce the number of artists hired in Nakkaşhane (royal scriptorium) to ten from over 120 during the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent (r. 1520-66), and for many years did not increase the prices they paid for pottery, paintings, and carpets. It has been more profitable for artists to produce open market items than to be tied to workshops in low-paying courts, and sultans had to pass orders forcing them to complete state commissions. One of the arts that maintained a high level of quality was calligraphy. Hafiz Osman was the ruler of this period, a teacher of Sultan Mustafa II  and his son, Sultan Ahmet III.

Under Ahmet III art has been revived. He built a new library at Topkapi Palace and authorized the Surname (Book of Festivals, ca. 1720, Topkapi A.3593), recording the circumcision of his four sons as recorded by the poet Vehbi. These paintings depict ceremonies and processions on the streets of Istanbul and were completed under the direction of the artist Levni (who died in 1732), whose work is known from a set of photographs collected in ‘vellum’ (Topkapi H.2164). While his style was traditional, other artists of his time were deeply influenced by European literature and recordings that began to spread throughout the Ottoman world.

Ahmet's reign is also known as the Tulip Age. The popularity of this flower is reflected in the new floral decoration that has changed the saz style of decorating with beaded leaves and cloud belts that have reflected Ottoman art for many years, and are found in fabrics, light, and decorative architecture. The construction of this period is shown in a large fountain built by Ahmet III outside the gate overlooking the Topkapi palace. Ambassadors sent to Paris and Vienna brought other changes in their interpretation of the Baroque buildings in Versailles and Fontainebleau, but many Baroque-inspired palaces built during Ahmet's reign were destroyed by a revolt that forced him to resign in 1730. The first building to survive was the Nuru Osmaniye Mosque (1748-55), which was started by Mahmud I and completed by Osman III. Its glorious decoration, beautiful composition, and carvings of vegetables are a hallmark of a style that dates back to the nineteenth century.

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