Ottoman architecture

Mohamed Ali Mosque, Cairo; an example of classic Ottoman architecture

Ottoman architecture is the architecture of the Ottoman Empire. It emerged in Bursa and Edirne in 14th and 15th centuries. The architecture of the empire developed from the earlier Seljuk architecture. It was influenced by the Byzantine, Iranian and Seljuk architecture. ^[1][2] It was also influenced by Islamic Mamluk traditions after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans.^[3][4][5] For almost 400 years Byzantine architectural artifacts such as the church of Hagia Sophia served as models for many of the Ottoman mosques.^[5] Overall, Ottoman architecture has been described as Ottoman architecture synthesized with architectural traditions of the Mediterranean and the Middle East.^[6]

The Ottomans achieved the highest level architecture in their lands. They mastered the technique of building vast inner spaces confined by seemingly weightless yet massive domes. Their work achieved harmony between inner and outer spaces, as well as light and shadow. Islamic religious building, which until then was simple but with extensive decoration, was transformed by the Ottomans. They used vaults, domes, semi-domes and columns. The mosque was changed from being a cramped and dark chamber with arabesque-covered walls into a beautiful sanctuary.

References

1. Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture, ed. Cyril M. Harris, (Dover Publications, 1977), 485.
2. Architecture(Muhammadan), H. Saladin, Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, Vol.1, Ed. James Hastings and John Alexander, (Charles Scribner's son, 1908), 753.
3. Necipoğlu, Gülru (1995). Muqarnas: An Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture. Volume 12. Leiden : E.J. Brill. p. 60. ISBN 978-90-04-10314-6. OCLC 33228759. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
4. Behrens-Abouseif, Doris (1989). Islamic Architecture in Cairo: An Introduction. Leiden ; New York : E.J. Brill. p. 29. ISBN 90-04-08677-3. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
5. Rice, John Gordon; Robert Clifford Ostergren (2005). "The Europeans: A Geography of People, Culture, and Environment". The Professional Geographer. 57 (4). Guilford Press. ISBN 978-0-89862-272-0. ISSN 0033-0124. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
6. Grabar, Oleg (1985). Muqarnas: An Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture. Volume 3. Leiden : E.J. Brill. ISBN 90-04-07611-5. Retrieved 2007-08-20.

Other websites

• Architecture. The Ottomans