A History of Ottoman Architecture

This book, intended for audiences with an interest in architecture, particularly that of the Ottoman Turks, is focused on the history of the extant buildings in the Republic of Turkey. The books begins with a brief history of the Ottoman Empire and develops by outlining the mains features of Ottoman architecture and discusses the biography of the great Ottoman architect Sinan.The successive chapters will follow the development Ottoman architecture, first in Iznik (Nicaea), then in Bursa and Edirne, their first and second capitals, and finally in Istanbul, the capital from 1453 until 1923. The first of the several chapters on Istanbul will describe the rebuilding of the city, Greek Constantinople, after its conquest in 1454 by Sultan Mehmet II, who began the construction program that created a new Muslim capital. The remaining chapters will follow the development of the Ottoman architecture in Istanbul during the reigns of Mehmet's successors, particularly Süleyman the Magnificent, who with his chief architect Sinab erected the most splendid mosque complexes that still adorn the old city.