European Perspectives on the Ottoman House (original) (raw)
Related papers
Traces of the Anatolian Housing Culture in the Balkans: A Comparative Analysis
Turkish Studies, 2020
The traces of the traditional Anatolian housing culture are easily seen in every region where the Ottoman Empire reigned. In almost every region within the Empire, residences specific to Anatolian culture were built, as well as public buildings such as madrasahs, mosques, dervish lodges, inns, baths, bridges and fountains. Also ethnic, social and cultural differences were blended, and a multi-layered culture with a wide variety-but also with many similarities-has emerged. This cultural interaction is probably most common in the Balkan countries. From the mid-14th century onwards, the empire settled the nomadic Turkish tribes in the newly conquered Balkans, and the interaction of these tribes with indigenous communities, has made the emergence of a common culture inevitable. This was a natural consequence of the settlement policy of the Empire, and it was also a way of spreading its own culture. As a result, the Ottoman Empire left the traces of the Anatolian housing culture in the Balkans. Therefore, certain similar features that constitute the spatial and morphological identity of the Anatolian House are the common ground on which the Balkan and the Anatolian culture meet each other. In this paper, the spatial organizations, structural features and similar aspects of the traditional houses-which are the common cultural product of the Balkan people and Anatolian people who have lived together for centuries-will be examined through the case studies within a conceptual framework. In this context, traditional houses in various regions of Macedonia have been selected as examples of the traditional houses of the Balkans; and in the same sense, traditional houses of Bursa İznik region were chosen as examples of the traditional Anatolian houses. The aim is to make a comparative analysis of these houses, in terms of spatial and cultural aspects. In this paper, as a research method, we will draw on literature review and documentation-examination. And the characteristics of the common cultural heritage will be emphasized within the context of the case studies. So within the scope of this study, it is aimed to ensure that, future generations can also adapt and sustain the common cultural heritage formed by intertwined cultures. Structured Abstract: The formation of the Anatolian houses is affected by the cultural codes of the geography that they were built, as well as various factors such as topography, climate and local materials. Beginning from the mid-14th Century, the Ottoman Empire reached the Balkans and started to settle the Turkish tribes brought from Anatolia in various regions of the Balkans. The Empire had the chance of imposing the Turkish culture without having to change the local language and the religion of the native Balkan communities. Turkish tribes to the territories they occupied in the Balkans and placed them in various cities and towns. In addition, land was given to these Turkish farmers and craftsmen, so that they could connect to their new homeland and survive. This policy made possible to emergence of a new culture in various regions of the Balkan Peninsula, which was blended by indigenous Balkan culture and Turkish culture. This blended culture has left significant
REVUE DES ÉTUDES SUD-EST EUROPÉENNES, 2021
What do Kastoria, Siatista, Thessaloniki, Gjirokastra, Ohrid, Sozopol, Nessebar, Plovdiv, Bucharest, Ploieşti, Istanbul, and so on, have in common? Apart from being cities in different Balkan countries, they share a common Ottoman influence, especially when it comes to architecture. In Greece the manors are called archontika, αρχοντικα, and considered to be representative for the Macedonian architectural style, in Romania, they are simply called merchant homes and sometimes considered Oriental in style, in Bulgaria they are seen as Bulgarian architectural heritage. The manors still preserved in one form or another throughout the Balkans, have been mostly built in the 18th, 19th centuries and beginning of the 20th centuries. The majority of the owners were merchants or members of the local economic and political elite. Whether we call them Balkan or Ottoman architectural heritage, these houses have witnessed an interesting process – their meaning and symbolism have shifted from representatives of local identity (especially in the cases of Bulgaria and Greece) to national, and, to some extent, Ottoman. Their affiliations to various architectural styles depict what was going on in the Balkans at a certain point. For example, some archontika in Kastoria follow the stylistic traits of Art Nouveau and even Art Deco.
Travellers’ Narratives on the Ottoman House
2023
This article is the Turkish translation of the presentation given under the title "Travellers' Narratives on the Ottoman House / Filling the missing links in the evolution of structure and form" at the TRAVELERS IN OTTOMAN LANDS THE BALKANS, ANATOLIA AND BEYOND SARAJEVO, 24 – 26 August 2022 Symposium. At this stage I cannot share the original English text due to copyright restrictions. The presentation will be published in the proceedings book of the symposium. In his presentation, it was emphasized that travelers almost never understood the wooden Ottoman house correctly. In this presentation, for the first time, information is shared about the existence of a strong lumber trade in Istanbul and that customs duty is collected from the timber brought to Istanbul. These may have extended the life of wooden construction. However, today we know how resistant the wooden frame system is to earthquakes.
Living Conditions in Houses of Istanbul During the 17TH Century: A Reading of Kadi Registries
Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi Kültür Envanteri Dergisi, 2019
Written Ottoman sources containing important information about cities and housing afford a broad base of data for Ottoman urban and architectural history. Among such sources, Kadı Registries hold exceptional significance for understanding the living conditions in houses of Istanbul (Suriçi) during the 17th century. Such registries contain detailed information about Ottoman houses at the time, including about the sale of property and transactions involved therein, rehin ('mortgages'), housing rentals, granting ownership rights, the inheritance of property, the establishment of waqf foundations, estimated costs of housing repairs, and, perhaps above all, the spatial configurations of residences. Moreover, the quantitative analysis of such information makes it possible to identify the spatial components of Ottoman houses, as well as clarify the availability of space for housing, determine which spaces were typical and which were luxury, and, in turn, evaluate the living conditions of urban residents from different social strata. With reference to the Kadı Registries of Istanbul, Bab and Rumeli, this article characterizes the living conditions and spatial standards of city dwellers in Istanbul during the 17th century, as well as discusses both changes and continuity in housing and, more generally, situations of urban living at the time.
Golden Light Publishing, 2019
Albania and Turkey have a deep and rich connecting history, spanning hundreds of years. Ottoman civilization left behind prominent influences on the religions, traditions, and architecture of the people who have lived in regions where Ottomans have ruled. Researches show that, on the long time period that the empire prevailed, each Ottoman city (from Central Asia to the Balkans, from North Africa to the Black Sea) developed a format related with their unique dynamics and tradition understandings. Thus, in different geographical area being under the same administrative system spatial organization of the cities share essential principles adapted with the surrounding geographical, socio-cultural and economical context. To examine this sharing principles two cities; Amasya, in Turkey and Berat, in Albania are chosen as case study. Both cities were significant places in the Ottoman Empire history. Due to growth in population, the Ottomans expanded the both cities, provided facilities and established neighborhoods outside the walls. Even though in 2017, Amasya and Berat have established a “sister city” relationship agreement, up to now there are no studies engaged to compare their urban and architectural elements and to find out the similarities and differences. Therefore, for enhancing the continuity in mutual urban outlines, this research employs a historical and descriptive approach to explore the history, design and construction of the cities layout as well as going further down to their traditional houses during the Ottoman period. The comparison of the traditional houses pointed out similarities both cities have in terms of socio- economical, religious and cultural contexts. Thus the paper will have not only the analysis of the comparison of the history of two cities, but also it will give needed recommendations that are highlighted in order to protect and restore the residential heritage of respective cities in an accordance with each other in a socio-cultural and economical base for future use. Therefore the paper would be worthwhile for those who are intending to carry out research on history and preservation of architecture. Keywords: Ottoman house, Urban planning, Albanian Ottoman House, Amasya Riverfront Houses.
THE OTTOMAN HOUSE / EVALUATION OF STRUCTURE AND FORM
Introduction: Even if in limited number of samples of Ottoman houses remained, the written sources from the Ottoman period that we accessed show how the Ottoman state power kept a tight grip on the city and its structures, so that the construction practice defined as vernacular architecture was scientifically and technologically managed and supervised from the 16 th century onwards at the latest. The newly emerging socioeconomic requirements of those eras led to an important stage in the development of the Ottoman house. While declaring that the Ottoman house had reached its magnificent peak in 19 th century, we were also witnessing the collapse of the wooden Otto-man house in the meantime.
This is the first study that takes into consideration part of the vast and unexplored correspondence of Turkish architect Sedad Hakkı Eldem. In particular, it analyzes the portion of the accessible letters of Eldem which focus on the geographical extension of the Ottoman- Turkish house. The rediscovery of vernacular architecture had an essential role during the formation of national identity in Turkey, and this phenomenon was not an isolated case in the panorama of modern architecture in the Mediterranean. Sedad Hakkı Eldem's letters show that he had established a network of correspondents from all over the former Ottoman world, who were investigating the range and breadth of the so-called Ottoman-Turkish House. These letters take their reader on a path through the experiences of a lifetime, highlighting Eldem's professional relationships and theories and his deepest architectural passions, and offering a more personal point of view than the conventional iconographic portrayal of the “State Architect”.