Islamic Art - Research Paper Example

Islamic art The Selimiye Mosque (1569-75), an Ottoman mosque in the of Edirne in Turkey, has been one of the most magnificent illustrations of Islamic architecture and the mosque was commissioned by Sultan Selim II. Selimiye has been the most important monument in the historic city of Edirne, which was the capital of the Ottoman Empire before the conquest of Istanbul. Significantly, the mosque was built between 1568 and 1574 by architect Mimar Sinan, who was the chief Ottoman architect and civil engineer for sultans Suleiman I, Selim II, and Murad III. Sinan (1489 - 1588) was the main architect behind the construction or the supervision of every major building in the Ottoman Empire and Selimiye Mosque is regarded as the greatest monument designed by Sinan. In a reflective exploration of the processes by which the Selimiye Mosque was built and the driving forces behind its construction, one recognizes that there is an important history connected with the construction of the mosque. “The new architectural foundation celebrated the recent conquest of Cypress and was financed by its rich spoils. Regarded by most modern historians as the culminating achievement of Sinan’s distinguished fifty-year career as chief architect of the Ottoman court, Sinan himself…understood the Selimiye project in a competitive frame of mind… He was determined both to outdo the size and grandeur of that venerable Byzantine monument and to continue a dialogue with his own Suleymaniye Mosque that was built twenty years earlier.” (Meri and Bacharach, 717) Therefore, the Selimiye Mosque can be realized as the most important mosque in the city of Edirne which is well-known for its mosques, the elegant domes and minarets. This paper undertakes a profound analysis of the processes by which the Selimiye Mosque was built, the driving forces that underpinned its construction, the technological advancements that were required for its implementation, and the role that the Selimiye Mosque played in the Ottoman world of architecture. The Selimiye Mosque in Edirne has been an important monument of Islamic architecture and it represents the culmination of classical Ottoman architecture as well as Sinan’s works. The complex constructed for Selim II contains the usual madrasas and commercial buildings, but the domed prayer hall is the most noted attraction of the construction. Significantly, the construction of the mosque follows a perfect centrally organized plan. Here, the architect uses the eight-pillared structure, as in other small mosques, which supports the dome over 31 meters in diameter, the largest in Ottoman architecture. It is also noticeable that the pillars are pulled all the way to the outer limits of the structure allowing the dome to dominate the entire space. Thus, the dome dominates the entire area of the construction and the result is a large total space without direction and strain. “When the mosque is considered in relation to those in Arab countries and Iran, which differ in form but are similar in concept, the total space of the Selimiye can be accepted as the realization of special image had existed for a long time. Starting in the fifteenth century and with the contributions of Sinan, the use of this kind of large and uninterrupted space becomes apparent in Ottoman architecture… The Selimiye Mosque is the result of a long quest.” (Necipoğlu, 63) Therefore, the Selimiye Mosque can be comprehended as an important monument representing the greatness of the Ottoman architecture. It is important to comprehend that the grand mosque comprises a madrasa or Islamic academy, a dar-ül hadis (Al-Hadith school), and an arasta or a row of shops and it is an important monument of Islamic architecture. Originally, this grand mosque was built for Friday adoration and the construction of the mosque is planned accordingly. A reflective analysis of the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, which is the focal point of the city, confirms that it is an important monument which reflects the classical Ottoman style and makes use of the technological abilities of the day. Occupying the top of a hill, this mosque is one of the major examples of Islamic art/architecture and it was created by the architect Sinan during 1569-1575, on the orders of Sultan Selim II. This grand mosque combines the technological abilities of the period with the skill of Sinan, the renowned architect of the Ottoman age. The Ottoman’s and the architect Sinan’s greatest achievement is the Selimiye Mosque, Edirne. It crowns a hilltop, standing supreme on its terrace. Two low medresses complete the compound and a large vaulted bazaar runs below it on one side… The shafts of the minarets are boldly paneled and their balconies of each minaret are reached by separate stairs spiraling within each other.” (Fletcher and Cruickshank, 617) It is, therefore, essential to realize this grand mosque as one of the magnificent illustrations of Ottoman and Islamic architecture. The dome, which is the center of the mosque, 31.5 meters in diameter and the fine carving on the ‘minber’ (pulpit) made of marble suggests the quality of the work by skilled artists. The construction of the monument with the 16th century tiles, which are particularly attractive, enhances the beauty of the mosque. Similarly, “a marble ablutions fountain stands in the courtyard facing the entrance portico of the mosque. This composition successfully contrives, through the impact of its splendour, to prepare the emotions of those about to enter the mosque to pray. The mosque has four slender minarets, one at each corner, and each with three galleries. The large unencumbered space and its height combine to create a wonderful sensation of light spaciousness. Undoubtedly, the Selimiye Mosque is an outstanding work of art.” (Caliyurt) Therefore, the artistic quality of the grand mosques of the Selimiye illustrates the development of Ottoman architecture and it makes use the technological abilities of the day as well as the artistic skill of Sinan. In an analysis of the processes by which the Selimiye Mosque was built, one realizes that the construction of this grand mosque excels any of the monuments in the Ottoman architecture. It is essential to realize that the Selimiye has a magnificent presence on the skyline of Edirne and the hilltop position and imposing profile of the mosque were intended to suggest the imperial majesty of the patron, through its architectural grandeur. The mosque stands on a high platform and it has few dependent buildings, unlike the Ottoman religious complexes. The complex includes a large enclosure with a centrally placed mosque, a medrese or theological school, and a dar-ül hadis. Significantly, the complex was entirely symmetrical until a covered market was added on the west side of the enclosure in the 1580s to provide rental income. “The mosque consists of a rectangular prayer hall and rectangular courtyard of equal size (sixty by forty-four meters) with an ablution fountain in its center. A large, single central dome dominates the prayer hall; from the prayer hall’s corners rise four exceedingly slender fluted minarets that at approximately seventy meters are taller than any others in the Ottoman realm. Their soaring verticality provides a marked contrast to the massive and imposing domical structure of the prayer hall a spatial frame that both draws attention to the mosque in Edirne’s skyline and sets it apart.” (Meri and Bacharach, 717) Therefore, the Selimiye Mosque was constructed in a way that it excels every architectural monument of the Ottoman Empire and it is undoubtedly the masterpiece of the architect Sinan who was the most renowned architect of the period. The interior as well as exterior of the mosque surpasses every monument of the Ottoman realm as well as every mosque of the Arab world. The space of this grand mosque is filled with light from the numerous windows and the mihrab is flanked by a tiled dado, while the minbar is carved in openwork in Marmara marble. This masterpiece work by Sinan, completed when he was eighty, offers a convincing illustration of Islamic architecture. The exterior, the interior, and the dome of the mosque convey the majestic quality of the architecture. “At a distance the exterior of the Selimiye conveys a dynamic tension between the broad dome ringed with buttresses and four soaring minarets which surround it. The interior is no less majestic, but radiant and serene. The great dome of more than 30 meters in span is supported on eight massive piers which are linked to the side walls; the plain, a circle on an octagon in a square, is the apotheosis of the Ottoman development of the dome-on-cube. Small semi-domes have a minor role in the corners, creating a harmonious movement below the dome.” (Brend, 180) Therefore, the Selimiye Mosque was constructed as a grand architectural monument illustrating the beauty of Ottoman art/architecture and every section of the mosque represents the regal art of the period. Significantly, the Selimiye Mosque was the final major and the most important work of architecture by Sinan and the mosque excels the architectures of the Byzantine and the Arab world. During the construction of the mosque, Sinan boasted that that he had built there a dome both wider and taller than Hagia Sophia and it was not exact. However, his method of conceiving the space transcends the Byzantine original. “The dome is set directly on eight piers, six freestanding and two engaged in the qibla wall. Arches connecting these piers support the dome, which rises above ranks of windows pierced in the exterior wall. Buttressing necessary to brace the dome’s thrust is hidden within the walls and seen more clearly on the exterior… Of exceptional height, they are grooved to accentuate their verticality. Inside two of the minarets are separate staircases leading to each of the three balconies, a complex exercise in spiraling geometry and a structural challenge that Sinan boasted proudly that he had met successfully.” (Moffett, et al, 184) In other words, the Selimiye Mosque remains as the masterpiece work of architecture by Sinan who was the prime architect and engineer of the Ottoman world. It is also essential to comprehend that the Selimiye Mosque makes use of the technological advancements that were available during the period and it exemplifies the use of applied acoustic systems throughout the Ottoman period. In a reflective exploration of the technological aspects of the work, it becomes lucid that the construction of the mosque makes use of the high level of applied technology. According to Mutbul Kayili, the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne best illustrates the effective use of applied technology and the architect is successful in dealing with the acoustic problem. As he makes clear, Sinan placed the muezzin’s mahfil right in the centre after creating a total space, in order to create an acoustic space and thereby achieve a practical solution to the acoustic problem. “For the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, it is evident that Sinan made an effort to achieve a reasonable solution to the acoustic problem. For this purpose, he designed a total space for the interior of the mosque, not divided into spaces and reduced to the size of room. The interior volume of the Selimiye Mosque is approximately 75,000 m3 and, naturally, it is evident that the problem of the power of the sound source will arise. To overcome this problem, Sinan placed the muezzin’s mahfil exactly in the centre of the total space.” (Kayili, 14) It is fundamental to realize that for Sinan’s design there is no application without a reason and he was a master in the art of construction. Similarly, he also placed the dome and the cavity resonators directly above the sound source. “The resonator system that will diffuse the sound energy into the room, being close and having no effect of reflected sound, will take the sound energy directly from the source and diffuse it throughout the entire room. Here intelligence shows its creativity, and for the first time in the history of civilization, we encounter an acoustic space. The sound energy coming from above defines a space - an acoustic space.” (Kayili, 14) In short, it is fundamental to realize that the Selimiye Mosque is an excellent manifestation of the development and advancement of applied technology, and Sinan has been one of the most important architects of the entire Islamic architecture, especially Ottoman architecture. In conclusion, a reflective exploration of the various processes in the construction of the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne confirms that it is one of the most magnificent illustrations of Islamic architecture in general and Ottoman architecture in particular. It is the masterpiece by the celebrated Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan who has been effective in both outdoing the size and grandeur of the venerable Byzantine monument and in continuing a dialogue with his own Suleymaniye Mosque that was built twenty years earlier. In a profound understanding of the architectural and technological quality of this magnificent mosque, one comes to recognize why most modern historians regard it as the culminating achievement of Sinan’s distinguished fifty-year career as the chief architect of the Ottoman court. In short, the Selimiye Mosque can best be considered as the most important mosque in the city of Edirne which is well-known for its mosques, the elegant domes and minarets. Works Cited Brend, Barbara. Islamic art. Harvard: Harvard University Press. 1991. P 180. Caliyurt, Kiymet. “Edirne: the City of Arts and History.” 2005. Dec 10. 2009. . Fletcher, Sir Banister and Dan Cruickshank. Sir Banister Fletchers a history of architecture. Architectural Press 1996. P 617. Kayili, Mutbul. “Acoustic Solutions in Classic Ottoman Architecture.” FSTC Limited. 2005. P 14. Dec 10. 2009. . Meri, Josef W. and Jere L. Bacharach. Medieval Islamic Civilization: L-Z, index. Taylor & Francis. 2006. P 717. Moffett, Marian et al. A world history of architecture. McGraw-Hill Professional. 2004. P 184. Necipoğlu, Gülru. Muqarnas, Volume 12: An Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture. BRILL. 1995. P 63. Read More