Ottoman architects continued traditions started by the Seljuk Turks. Tall doorways and pointed arches were common to Seljuk mosques, schools and caravanserais. Blue, white and black designs with floral or geometric patterns were often used to decorate walls. Often a complex of buildings, called a külliye , surrounded a mosque. As well as the mosque, a külliye in the former capital of Edirne contained separate buildings including a hospital, a mental asylum and a bakery. A windowed dome over the mosque allowed the use of light to become a feature of Ottoman architecture. It was under Suleiman and his architect Sinan (1489–1588) that Ottoman architecture reached its peak. One of Sinan’s greatest achievements is the Süleymaniye Mosque, built in Istanbul from 1550. Its design mirrored that of the Christian church Hagia Sophia. In the structural features of the mosque, Sinan improved on the original. Sinan had discovered ways to incorporate supports within the structure so that fewer columns were needed. The Hagia Sophia had eight columns on each side but the Süleymaniye Mosque had only two. Sinan also made extensive use of windows, giving a light-filled weightlessness to the building. Sinan’s contributions also included great public works such as aqueducts that brought water into the city for fountains and Turkish baths. Another common feature of Ottoman architecture, geometric design, can also be found in art from the same period. Islamic art rarely featured images of real life. Instead, circles, squares and pentagons are repeated in carefully arranged sequences. Examples of Islamic geometric design can be seen in SOURCE3 . With clear links to mathematics, these designs were meticulously painted onto mosques, libraries and other important buildings. Another popular form of art was calligraphy. The Qur’an was written in Arabic, so letters themselves were seen to have a sacred quality, and lettering became an art form.
SOURCE3 The interior of the S¸ ehzade Mosque in Istanbul. The construction of this mosque was ordered by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1543.
SOURCE4 A painting by Bihzad showing the construction of a fort
SkillBuilder discussion Using historical sources 1. What does the painting by Bihzad tell us about the methods and tools used in fort construction during the time it was created? 2. How can we infer the importance of forts in the society depicted in Bihzad’s painting? 3. What details in the painting help historians understand the everyday life and work of people involved in constructing the fort?
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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