Marya itani
ID: 202302499
Was the Ottoman Empire part of the Renaissance?
The ottoman empire was an empire established in 1299 by Osman I, it was a powerful and
important nation that conquered a large amount of the mediterranean region and it lasted until
1922. This nation was relatively close to the renaissance center of europe. The ottoman empire
was huge and took up a lot of space geographically, nonetheless, it played an important role in
shaping the cultural landscape, having multiple cultures and religions, as well as a fundamental
role in the political landscape of the mediterranean region. However, The renaissance first began
in italy in the 14th century, it was a period of cultural and artistic improvement and helped create
all the innovations we have today. The renaissance spread through out europe over time. It was
known as a time of creativity and innovation and it led to an extreme impact on western
civilization. The question that is posed is was the ottoman empire part of the renaissance? This
essay covers the topic of this question, by arguing that the ottomans were influenced by the
renaissance however, they still had many distinct features that individualized them.
A very prominent feature of influence of the renaissance in the ottoman empire was the
architecture. The ottomans were very known for their very impressive architectural
achievements, however many of their buildings are obviously influenced by renaissance
architecture through several details. One example is the Süleymaniye mosque, built by a famous
ottoman architect named Sinan, found in istanbul and built in the 16th century. This mosque has
been compared to michelangelos work and other renaissance architects. The mosque is
characterized with a dome and arches, which are similar to renaissance buildings, not only that,
but the use of light and space, making the area appear more holy and spacious, is a very
prominent characteristic found in renaissance architecture.
Similarly, we can talk about the topkapi palace, which was built in the 15th century, and can be
found in istanbul as well, which served as a place of residence for the ottoman sultans for
centuries. This building features many elements influenced by the renaissance architecture, such
as arched windows, columns, and ornate decorations. Not only was the architecture similar, but
this palace had a vast collection of art and artifacts, some which included work done by european
artists, such as raphael and titian. Ousterhout states in his book, that ottoman architects used
renaissance features in new and innovative ways, in a way blending them with local traditions as
well as creating their own distinctive ottoman style.
Not only where the ottomans similar in architectural aspects, but it was discussed that one of the
most important rulers in the ottoman empire named mehmed the conqueror, who played an
important role in promoting art and architecture in the ottoman empire, used to bring in artists
and scholars from europe (who have done commissioned work for an important family in
renaissance europe, Medici) to his court and commissioned them to produce works of art, which
reflected both ottoman and renaissance styles (ex: portrait style).
The influence of renaissance in the ottoman empire can also be observed while looking at the
construction of ottoman cities, mainly istanbul, Kafesçioğlu states in his book that the ottomans
were inspired by the urban planning and architecture of the renaissance time. It was proposed
that the ottomans were actually mainly inspired by the city of venice and were influenced to
create something similar in istanbul, an example is in the construction of the of the galata bridge
in istanbul, which would be influenced by the bridges found in venice
In the book “The Renaissance and the Ottoman World” written by Anna Contadini and Claire
Norton, the authors go on to state that during the 15th century, those who worked in book
binding were introduced to new decorative elements as well as techniques that were later on
passed through europe. It was found, through the work of anthony hobson, a famous book
binding scholar, how the humanist binders of renaissance italy were inspired by the styles and
techniques that were adapted from the ottoman and mamluk binders, and a few decades later,
decorated bindings started being used and produced in italy for manuscripts.
These examples can lead us to believe that the ottomans were definitely aware of renaissance art
and architecture while the renaissance were aware of them too, one can not deny that the
ottomans were certainly influenced by them as well. However, despite the similarities they share,
as well as existing in the same time frame, the ottomans did not simply copy renaissance styles
as a whole, as stated previously, they adapted these styles into their own cultural and religious
traditions. They used renaissance designs and forms to create a new ottoman style, which was
also very distinctive and innovative. An example can be the use of calligraphy and their intricate
tile work that can be found in ottoman architecture, which was their main building style for a
long period of time. In addition to that, the ottomans also incorporated elements of persian and
byzantine art into their buildings (renaissance art had also taken ideas from byzantine art,
connecting the relation between renaissance and ottoman), thus creating a unique fusion of
several different cultural traditions.
Another factor is how the ottomans were operating in a political and social way. The ottoman
empire was diverse compared to the renaissance, it was surrounded by many different cultures,
languages and religions. Thus, the ottomans had a constant disturbance by dealing with
rebellions and external threats from the cities around them, in addition to maintaining a balance
between the different religious and racial groups in the empire. All these combined had an
impact on the development of the ottoman culture and its identity as a whole, making it distinct
from the renaissance.
In addition, the book “The Renaissance and the Ottoman World” discusses the relationship
between turkey and europe, more specifically the historical tension between christian europe and
the muslim world. Pope pius II attempts to unite christian europe against the ottoman empire
during the 15th century, this highlights the complex relationship between renaissance europe and
the ottoman empire, in addition, providing the story of the popes attempt to convert Mehmed II
to christianity, with the reward of of the imperial crown, furthermore displaying the tension and
dynamism between the two regions
Adding on to the idea, another reason why the ottoman empire is not part of the renaissance is
because they had differences in cultural priorities between the two areas. This means, the
renaissance was interested in classical art, literature, and learning, as well as incorporating
christianity into their work, making their art very humanistic and had a lot of individualism.
while the ottomans on the other hand since it was an islamic state, when trying to represent
islam, it is very rare to find icons (as it is forbidden to represent icons in islam), as much as there
would be islamic scripts, not only that, but the ottoman empire was mainly focused on serving
the needs of the empire as well as the needs of its rulers. Rather then devoting their focus to
exploring new ideas and expressions,Necipoğlu goes to state, that a lot of the ottomans focus
wasn't on the use of architecture as an artistic form but as a means of showing off their power
and authority, this can be found in their grand mosques, that were constructed in the ottoman era,
that were designed with the intent of implying fear on other regions, and not inspire and have
visually enjoyment, like the intent of the renaissance.
In conclusion, despite there being many features in the ottoman empire that were inspired by the
renaissance ideas, it isn't completely accurate to say that they were part of the renaissance. The
ottomans did develop their own unique designs and cultural traditions. While they most
definitely added on to renaissance ideas and improved them to fit their liking, they did it in a way
where it showed their own type of unique addition to it, incorporating their culture and religion.
Nonetheless, both the renaissance and ottomans made a great impact on art and architecture
today.
References:
Added: Anna C. and Claire N.,”The Renaissance and the Ottoman World”
(only used chapter 8 and 11)
Ousterhout, R. "Ethic Identity and Cultural Appropriation in Early Ottoman Architecture,"
Muqarnas 12 (1995): 48-62 (course reading).
Raby, J., “A Sultan of Paradox: Mehmed the Conqueror as a Patron of the Arts,” Oxford Art
Journal 5:1 (1982): 3-8.
Kafesçioğlu, Ç., Constantinopolis/ Istanbul, Cultural Encounter, Imperial Vision, and the
Construction of the Ottoman Capital, Pennsylvania State University Press: Philadelphia, 2009,
53-85 (Constructing the City: Architecture and its Audiences).
Necipoğlu, G., The Age of Sinan, London: Reaktion Books, London, 2005, pp.
13-23; 103-124 (Culture of Architecture and Decorum); 207-222 (The Süleymaniye Complex).
Kostof, S. “Istanbul and Venice” (chapter), A History of Architecture: Settings and Rituals
(Oxford University Press), pp. 453-483