Ottoman EmpireArchitecture ConservationThrough HistorySteven Carlson Ottoman Architecture Syracuse Architecture Spring 2016 Professor E. Cobb

The Ottoman Empire not only inherited a rich array of historic monuments when it rose up, but added innumerable historic monuments of its own. Those monuments which have survived the centuries bear the marks of interventions by generations of preservationists to ensure their survival to today. As a result, many Ottoman landmarks are rich palimpsests, with layers and layers of information embedded into them, and serve as a time capsule for the rich cultural histories of those who built them and lived in them over the centuries. Some projects, however, while centuries-old, have been treated too aggressively and have seen their richness ‘whitewashed’.

Ottoman EmpireArchitecture ConservationThrough HistorySteven Carlson Ottoman Architecture Syracuse Architecture Spring 2016 Professor E. Cobb

EARLY OTTOMAN ex. Hagia Sophia Mosque, Istanbul

When the Ottomans rose to power, they inherited existing cultural and architectural conditions; with architectural monuments brought under their control built by the Anatolian Seljuks, Christians, etc. They leveraged this condition with expertise. One of the most prominent examples of this condition is the conversion of the Hagia Sophia from a church into a mosque. This, a deliberate marker of the Ottomans putting down roots in the city, was done not with aggression and tactlessness, but rather with tact and deliberate restraint. This, I argue, is an example of their radical forward-thinking architectural and cultural sensitivity of the sort much-later championed by the Venice and Nara Charters on Architectural Conservation.

EARLY OTTOMAN ex. Hagia Sophia Mosque, Istanbul

"Items of sculpture, painting or decoration which form an integral part of a monument may only be removed from it if this is the sole means of ensuring their preservation."”

– Venice Charter Article 8

EXISTING MOSAICS RETAINED( later plastered-over as attitudes

shift aboutByzantine Heritage )

ADDED INTERIOR

EMBELLISHMENT

INTERIOR ELEMENTS ADDED( on slight, compelling angleleaving a ‘palimpsest’ of grids:1- the original Christian orientation2- the adapted Muslim, re-aligned grid )

URBAN RENEWAL 1950sex. Ataturk Boulevard

Rapid population loss and subsequent loss of income and government support in the 1930s led to rapid and severe deterioration. The modernization craze that overwhelmed the post-WWII world did not pass by the former Ottoman Empire. Radical urban modernization drastically altered neighborhoods around Turkey, especially within Istanbul. While the interventions were drastic, they did however heighten the importance of historic architecture. Select buildings were preserved ceremonially, made to be symbolic reminders of the past in dramatically altered contexts.

URBAN RENEWAL 1950sex. Ataturk Boulevard

"No new construction, demolition or modification which would alter the relations of mass and colour must be allowed."”

– Venice Charter Article 6

HISTORIC MOSQUE RETAINED( albeit as a ‘gem’ separated

from its original, dense-packed urbancontext )

‘HAUSSMANIFICATION’ IN ISTANBUL( areas of city cleared, boulevards

established along decidedly European standards, imposing connections between

monuments that never in actuality existed at any time beforehand )

NEW CONSTRUCTION( out of scale with historiclandmarks and surrounding urban fabric )

HISTORIC MOSQUE RETAINED( albeit as a ‘gem’ separated

from its original, dense-packed urbancontext )

‘HAUSSMANIFICATION’ IN ISTANBUL( areas of city cleared, boulevards

established along decidedly European standards, imposing connections between

monuments that never in actuality existed at any time beforehand )

21ST CENTURYex. Hamam of Hurrem Sultan

The Hurrem Sultan Hamam is a key example of a restoration going too far. While it is honorable that the restoration brought the prominently-situated structure back from the brink, and restored its original program, it is in my mind yet another example of restoration for the sake of appearances, playing into western tourist expectations of luxury, at the expense of nuance and historic authenticity.

21ST CENTURYex. Hamam of Hurrem Sultan

"The conservation of monuments is always facilitated by making use of them for some socially useful purpose. Such use is therefore desirable but it must not change the lay-out or decoration of the building. It is within these limits only modifications demanded by a change of function should be envisaged and may be permitted."

– Venice Charter Article 5

RETURNED TO ORIGINAL FUNCTION!( building had been near-abandoned,

acted as a bus depot,warehouse... over the centuries

and left in poor condition )

WHITEWASHING( building returned to a too-pristine state

playing into Western expectations of luxury )

SUBTLE DECORATIONand

SUMPTUOUS MATERIALS

RETURNED TO ORIGINAL FUNCTION!( building had been near-abandoned,

acted as a bus depot,warehouse... over the centuries

and left in poor condition )

Lovingly cared for and largely stewarded safely through earthquakes, fires, and general decay, Ottoman-era historic architecture faced a difficult 20th century. While today the value of preserving historic structures is clear and appreciated, many renovations go too far, are too aggressive, and leave the building in a ‘too-pristine’ state, not in alignment with the standards set by the Venice and Nara Charters. Today’s Ottoman preservationists would do well to look back to their ancestors; and enact necessary changes without overwhelming the subtle nuance of those traces left before them.

F I G U R E S :

1: Self-Made Photo collage of (3) and Promotional Photohttp://www.voyageaufuretamesure.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Ayasofya-

Hurrem-Sultan-women-section.jpg

3: Hurrem Sultan Hamam Historic Photohttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Haseki_H%C3%BCrrem_Sultan_Hammam,_Sultanahmet,_%C4%B0stanbul_(14243293054).jpg/640px-Haseki_H%C3%BCrrem_Sultan_Hammam,_Sultanahmet,_%C4%B0stanbul_(14243293054).jpg

5-7: Hagia Sophia Mosquehttps://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQUVbvVu2XYfSpiOKC-o--

d3dhe4iHUxcliAVtdpDuOIh26L6WS

9-11: Istanbul in TransitionThe Architectural Heritage of Istanbul and the Ideology of Preservation, Nur

Altinyildiz

13-15: Hurrem Sultan Renovationhttps://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/