Ottoman Architecture
Introduction
Ottoman architecture is the architecture built by the Ottoman Empire in all the territories over which it exercised control, a style that emerged in its first capitals Bursa and Edirne in the 2nd centuries. The architecture of the empire developed from earlier Seljuk architecture and was influenced by Byzantine and Iranian architecture,[1][2] as well as by Mamluk Islamic traditions after the conquest of Constantinople.[3][4][5] In general, Ottoman architecture has been described as a synthesis of Byzantine architecture with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern architectural traditions.[6] For almost 400 years years, the most characteristic Ottoman buildings were the great mosques, such as the models developed by the most relevant architect of the period, Mimar Sinan—mosques of Sehzade (1543-1548), Süleymaniye (1550-1558) and Rüstem Paşa (1561-1563)—inspired by the ancient church of Hagia Sophia.[5].
Beginning in the 19th century, Ottoman architecture was influenced by Baroque architecture in Western Europe,[7] with the Nuruosmaniye Mosque surviving from that period.[7] The later Ottoman period saw more influences from Western Europe, imported by architects such as those of the Balyan family.)[8] This period also saw the development of a new architectural style called Neo-Ottoman or Ottoman Revival, also known as the First National Architectural Movement,[9] architects such as Mimar Kemaleddin") and Vedat Tek").[8].
The Ottomans achieved the highest level of architecture built in their territory, not achieved before or since. They mastered the technique of constructing large interior spaces, confined by domes, apparently weightless although still massive, and achieved a perfect harmony between interior and exterior spaces through a wise articulation of light and shadow. Islamic religious architecture, which until then consisted of simple, lavishly decorated buildings, was transformed by the Ottomans through the use of a rich and dynamic architectural vocabulary of vaults, domes, semidomes and columns. The mosque went from being a small, dark chamber with walls covered in arabesques, to an aesthetically and technically balanced sanctuary, of refined elegance and with a touch of divine transcendence.
Today, remnants of decaying Ottoman architecture are found in certain parts of its former territories.[10].
Early Ottoman period
After the establishment of the Ottoman Empire, the years 1300-1453 constitute the early period, when Ottoman rulers and artists were still searching for new architectural models that reflected their power. This period witnessed the construction of three types of mosques: tiered, single-domed and angled subline. The Hacı Özbek Mosque (1333), in İznik, the first important center of Ottoman art, was the first example of a single-domed Ottoman mosque.