Turkish Culture & Art
Turkey, being a country where the east meets the west, some might think that this is a
mere cliché - therefore, a country where one would observe what both the west and the
east offers, presents a very diverse understanding of art and culture. The Islamic Art
varies substantially from Western Art due primarily to restrictions in the interpretation
of Koran on depicting the human form. Rather than being representational of the profane
world, the perfection of Ottoman art lies in the pure balance of colour, line and rhythm
in geometric patterns and designs.
Of the Ottoman arts, Calligraphy
was the most important. Such mundane items as tax reports, property deeds and imperial
edicts became exquisite works of art. This aptly reflects the bureaucratic nature of the
empire, with its stress on writing and registering. Turkish calligraphers contributed to
the development of new and more ornate styles of calligraphy. Each of the sultans had
their own monogram in stylized script, called a tugra. Sultan Ahmet III and Sultan Bayezit
II were skilled calligraphers. In 1928 Ataturk introduced the Latin alphabet, sounding the
deathknell of the art of Arabic calligraphy in Turkey. Many of the greatest works were
preserved in the extensive Ottoman archives and can be seen at Topkapi Palace, Ibrahim
Pasha Museum and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.
Marbled paper or Ebru is
an art form that was developed in Turkey in the fifteenth century. Mineral and vegetable
dyes are sprinkled on water mixed with gum and the gall fluid of cattle, over which a
sheet of paper is laid, creating unique and unrepeatable patterns. Traditionally, this
paper was used for borders on Ottoman panels and miniatures, and for the inside covers and
flyleaves of books. Today mass-produced marbled paper is used for such purposes, though
the art of marbling continues. Meerschaum is a mineral substance found only in Turkey,
from which pipes and ornaments have been hand-carved since the 1700's. As few Turks smoke
pipes, they are made mostly for export.
Under the Byzantines, Constantinople
nearly bankrupted itself obtaining huge amounts of silk from China via the Silk Road,
needed for the production of vast quantities of religious vestments and decorations. In
the sixth century, a number of the closely guarded silkworm eggs were stolen by two
Russian monks and brought to Constantinople. Silkmaking quickly became a huge
industry, centered in Bursa, and was inherited by the Ottomans when they replaced the
Byzantines. Today, Bursa is still an important textile center, famous for its salt-dye
techniques.
The art of Embroidery most
likely traveled west with the Turkic nomads from their Central Asian homelands. It was
widely used; the military equipment of the Selcuk and Ottoman soldiers included tents,
pavilions, banners, saddles and holsters richly embroidered with motifs and battlescenes,
many of which are preserved in the Military Museum in Harbiye, Istanbul. Religious
hangings for mosques, prayer carpets and Koranic cases were covered in graceful
floral patterns in delicate colours offset with silver and gold. Many of the items of
daily life, such as towels, bed coverings and veils were similarly adorned. For the
Ottoman Court, silk brocades and velvets were elaborately for ceremonial purposes, often
using gold or silver threads on purple velvet. Embroidery designs were based on the
geometric and floral patterns used in ceramics and woven silks, though motifs and styles
varied from village to village. Some embroidery was commercially produced in workshops
where men and some Christian women worked, but the quality and originality of this work
was slightly inferior. The women of the harems produced magnificent work for their ceyiz
or trousseaux and to grace their bridal chambers on their wedding nights. This art form
reached its creative peak in the 16th century and then was revived again around 100 years
ago with the establishment of Girls Technical Schools where it is still commonly taught.
Many excellent examples can be seen in the Topkapi Museum and the Sadberk Hanim Museum in
Sariyer, or bought in the Grand Bazaar.
Like traditional crafts everywhere,
embroidery is being killed by cheap technology. However, most grandmothers still pass
their time ornamenting bed coverings and clothes for their grandchildren. The Black Sea
resort of Sile specializes in the production of embroidered cotton clothing, towels and
tablecloths.
Turkish painting in the western
sense only began in the 19th century, with the founding by Osman Hamdi Bey, himself an
accomplished painter, of the Academy of Fine Arts. Turkish painters were sent to France
and Italy by the Sultan, and foreign painters, mostly Italian, were brought from Europe to
transfer their skills. Today this academy is known as Mimar Sinan University. The most
famous of the early Ottoman painters are Osman Hamdi Bey, Seker Ahmet Pasha, Hoca Ali
Riza, Sevket Dag , Ahmet Ziya and Halil Pasha. In 1919 the Ottoman Society of Painters
held their first exhibition in Galatasaray.
Ottoman Art consisted mainly of the
traditional forms outlined above, with the exception of Turkish Miniatures. The
Sultans and elite who patronized this often representational art, kept their paintings for
private viewing, fearful of the religious zeal of the public. Miniature painters were
divided into two categories; those who painted decorative murals and flowers, and the
smaller number, many of whom were non-Muslims, who painted portraits, sieges and
battle-scenes. Turkish miniatures are not as famous as Persian ones, although they are
often more moving and powerful, due to the stronger shades used and to a greater attention
to detail.
It was only in the 19th century that a
Turkish painting movement in the Western sense occurred, with the founding by Osman Hamdi
Bey of the Academy of Fine Arts (now the Mimar Sinan University School of Fine Arts). The
Sultans began to bring foreign painters, mostly Italian or French, to live as court
painters, and Turkish painters were sent abroad to learn from European masters. Among the
best known of the early Ottoman painters are Osman Hamdi Bey, Seker Ahmet Pasha, Hoca Ali
Riza, Sevket Dag , Ahmet Ziya and Halil Pasha. They were primarily landscape painters,
with few portraits. In 1919 the Ottoman Society of Painters held their first exhibition in
Galatasaray. Following the war, impressionism was a major influence on Turkish painters.
The most successful impressionist painter was Halil Pasha. Painting continued to develop
through the thirties and forties, with increased emphasis on design and subject matter.
The abstract and cubist movements were popular in Turkey, the best known painters in this
genre are Sabri Berkel, Halil Dikmen, Cemal Bingol and Semsettin Arel. Today's Turkish
artists are no longer bound in subject or design by their past, and a wide range of
techniques and approaches are being used by the many artists at work today. There is an
ever-increasing number of art galleries showcasing these young talents, with regular
exhibitions of new work.
