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This research paper examines the transition of urban spaces and architectural changes in Elbasan, Albania, from Ottoman influence to modernity. By analyzing urban development and architectural styles from both the Ottoman and contemporary periods, the paper aims to provide a comparative perspective on the architectural language between these two periods. The study explores the alterations in characteristics of city urbanism and architecture in Ottoman and post-Ottoman times, spanning from the early 19th century to the present day. It also examines the implications of these changes for urban spaces and cultural identity. Through case studies and comparative analysis, the paper highlights the dynamic evolution of Elbasan’s architectural landscape and provides insights into its future development. The data was collected using a multi-faceted methodology, including archival drawings, scholarly works, maps, field visits, and observations. The results reveal significant variability in the urban and architectural patterns of the city. The differences between 18th- 19th- century Elbasan and that of the 20th and 21st centuries are profound and distinct. However, the central area of the city, which remains the most historic part due to the survival of structures such as the castle, the clock tower, old bathhouses, and the king’s mosque, still retains traces of the Ottoman city. Keywords: Urban Transition, Ottoman Architecture, Modernity, Elbasan, Cultural Identity, Urban Development

The Ottoman architectural change, which occurred between the Tulip Era and the Tanzimat period (1718–1839) and was shaped by both conventional and novel styles attempting to follow Western influence, reflects the country's shifting political and cultural landscape. The change in the Ottomans’ perception of social and intellectual taste caused the architectural understanding to move away from the classical building styles. Although the Ottomans tried to train their own architects to implement the new building styles, attempts to meet the current need were made by foreign architects who received architectural education in Europe. The main figures of the new process, in which other foreign architects also took part, are the Fossati brothers. For the first time in the Ottoman Empire, after the Tanzimat, a team of foreign architects had the opportunity to undertake uninterrupted and successful works, leading to the subsequent employment of other foreign architects. This tradition, which started with the Fossati brothers in the Ottoman Empire, continued for about a century until the 1930s. In the study, an explanation of both the contributions of the Fossati brothers to the history of Ottoman architecture and the reason why they were the first representatives of a new era is proposed. In this regard, the history of the Ottoman architecture, deviating from the classical understanding and turning to a Western style, will be briefly mentioned. In addition, the buildings they constructed in Istanbul will be surveyed and their contribution to the architectural face of the city will be expressed.

Iconographic materials and written evidence are the main source for studying the architectonics of the building of the XVI century, lost in 1833–1834. Their substantive consideration allows us to remove some delusions that are common in scientific circulation and to get important conclusions: supporting arches were not used in the construction of the main dome; the courtyard of the mosque had a roof; images of minarets in the drawing by Ch. G. Geisler, belonging to two different buildings, are combined – Mufti Jami (left) and Biyuk Jami (right). It was also established that the hammam first appeared on the market square, after it the construction of the mosque was started. This is indicated by the broken configuration of the side wall of the Biyuk Jami outer haram from the side of the bath-house, which was formed as a result of the forced fitting of buildings. The doming of the central part of the mosque prayer hall had an original volumetric composition and a well thought-out design, which could well have belonged to the hand of the capital's master, who supervised the construction work at the Crimean structures of Mimar Sinan.

The Mosque of Şehzade Mehmet had been built between 1543 and 1548 at an important location within the Historical Peninsula of Istanbul. The complex within which the mosque is built was located on the road which lies between the Aqueduct of Valens (Bozdoğan) and the Fatih Complex. This area constituted the city center and had an impact over the silhouette of the city in the sixteenth century as it does today. The mosque was located at the center of the complex. The Mosque of Şehzade Mehmet was the first sultans mosque designed and built by Mimar Sinan. Even though Sinan himself considers the mosque as his apprenticeship work, researchers disagree. They instead identify the mosque as Sinan’s mastership work. There is a plethora of research on the works of Mimar Sinan. In some of these, the existence of modular and/or proportional architecture is discussed. These researches have been conducted within the context of approaches which accept either Western proportion systems, traditional measurement systems, or dome unit as the module. In this article too, the Mosque of Şehzade Mehmet will be analytically studied in order to find out which modular system inspired the design. However, what differs this study from other works is the existence of an extensive survey which is conducted through the use of modern technology. Thus, through this survey, the topic is thoroughly studied with an approach which takes the dome unit as the module. The results are presented by various technical drawings.

Islamic religion spreading was influenced by the different local traditions among which Sufism, a religious mysticism (tasavvuf) organized under the institutions of tariqa emerged. This was followed by the emergence of as a place where divisions (orders) members were gathered known under names of tekke, zaviye, hankâh, ribat and a dervish lodge. This study elaborates several tekkes established by the Ottomans in the Balkans. Building style of the tekkes varied according to the procedures as well as manners of the order. Tekkes, which have a simple appearance, generally consist of a mosque, semahane, cellar, kitchen, cells, çilehane, selâmlık and harem. However, most of the buildings within the tekke are constructed over a large span of time. The aim of this study is to better understand the spatial setup of this organizational structure, which directly contributed to the conquest in the Balkans through the janissary corps and to the futuwwa (a set of religious and moral vocational norms) through the ahis (religious and moral vocational chamber). For this purpose, the locations of the tekkes and their architectural features, which were established successively one after the other with the conquests, have been analyzed. In final, the architectural typological of the tekkes is obtained according to the belief tradition, positioning, foundation schemes and special plans of the early period structures set within the tekke.

Introduction: Throughout the years, numerous factors have contributed to the formation of city identity, urban fabric, and architecture. These factors include inspirations from various civilizations and religious influences. Architecture is also determined by such physical constraints as climate, geography, and the availability of specific materials. This article in particular addresses Turkey, a vast country with significant culture, and its architecture shaped by the strong identity of the nation. Methods: The article explores the influence of diverse aspects and intangible factors on Turkish residential and sacral architecture. For that purpose, the history of the Ottoman Empire is analyzed, and the evolution of the Turkish Hayat house is examined, which is the basis of various housing styles in Turkey. Results and discussion: Political will and ambition as well as the glorification of victories in battles were the key elements behind many landmarked mosques. As for the Hayat house, it is closely associated with the lifestyle of the Turks who founded the Ottoman Empire.

A monument constructed in the dynastic beginnings of the Ottoman Empire, the 14th-Century Yeşil Camii (Green Mosque), was one of the first buildings sponsored after the conquest of the Byzantine city Nicaea (İznik). Commissioned by Çandarlı Kara Halil Hayreddin Pasha (1364-1387), the mosque became a landmark of a burgeoning Ottoman government that soon reigned over three continents. With the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, the centuries-old Ottoman Empire, with all its institutions, was abolished. The Türk Tarih Tezi (Turkish History Thesis) became the propaganda of the nation-state, denoting a national spirit among Turks in all periods of history. In this historicist reading, the Green Mosque became a beacon signifying the zeitgeist of pure national building forms for the Turks. In the late 1930s, the secular appraisal of this thesis began to wane in favor of a religious-ethnic reading. Imperial monuments with an Islamic past came to befit the locus of Turkish identity. Nevertheless, the ideological transformation of the Green Mosque transcended any objectifying vision. The nationalist lens shifted, emphasizing Muslim-Turks over the Turkish race and iterating a formal revelation of the Green Mosque that has perpetuated the long-standing understanding of the building. This essay presents the Green Mosque in view of the texts written by prominent architects and historians, against the backdrop of crossing boundaries between architectural historiography and nationhood of space, from early beginnings to late 1980s.

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Architectural narratives on building processes are admittedly rare in premodern histories. Accounts of visitors who observed and reacted to architecture in the making are even more exceptional. Moreover early modern audiences’ perceptions of music and architecture have been rarely explored in relation to building processes and synesthetic experiences. This article presents a critical reading of Caʿfer Efendi’s Risāle-i Miʿmāriyye [Book on Architecture] of 1614 by focusing on its chapter on the Sultan Ahmed mosque (1609–17) in Istanbul. Caʿfer associates sounds in the construction site with Sufi musical practices and the science of music. A conversation with a Sufi at the site reveals how twelve types of marbles, four types of strikes, and seven types of foremen were associated with Ottoman music theory. The article also explores how the shared geometrical foundations of architectural tools and musical instruments were linked to harmonious sounds and forms. This union of spatial, visual, and aural experiences of the mosque in the making produced various forms of knowledge for the visitors. Architecture’s mediating role for sensuous, spiritual, and scientific knowledge further illuminates the relation between theory and practice in Ottoman architecture.

This paper focuses on the study the education system of the ottoman medrese considering mainly the waqfiyehs and the extant ottoman medreses –either partially or entirely– in Greece. Waqfiyehs of the educational institutions in Greece provide a wealth of information concerning the scholastic system, staff, students, salaries, duties, and process of working of these institutes, and in sometimes a brief data regarding their architectural shape. This study proposes new publishing of early 15th century Ottoman waqfiyehs. These waqfiyehs were written in Arabic; and gives aAnalysing the data in these waqf documents in addition to an important layout about the ottoman society then. Among these waqfiyehs are those of Haci Omar Bey Turhan in Trikala, Mehmed Bey bin Yaqob in Veroia, Faeiq Pasha in Arta. Also, this paper analyses the content of two later Ottoman waqfiyehs: the one of Veli Pasha in Ioannina and Mehmed Ali Pasha in Kavala. The latter was issued in Egypt. This paper deciphers some existing foundation inscriptions of the extant ottoman medreses in Greece for first time. Among which are the foundation inscriptions of Osman Efendi medrese in Athens and Haci Mehmed Bey in Mytilene. These waqfiyehs, foundation inscriptions and the extant ottoman structures picture the life of the ottoman medrese in Greece from many aspects. There are ten extant structures of the traditional ottoman medrese in Greece. This paper publishes these buildings in terms of the history of architecture along with the linked archival material, drawings, and inscriptions. The paper concludes with a recommendation emphasizes the necessity of preserving and maintenance these extant distinctive architectural models, and to invest these buildings in tourism with a civilizational suitable reuse.

Despite the fact that during the sixteenth century, the so-called golden age of classical Ottoman architecture, thousands of significant buildings were constructed, the methods of designing in the classical Ottoman period still raises several unanswered questions. The present paper surveys some features of classical Ottoman designs, the types of drawing documents used by the craftsmen, and the operation of the architectural institutions. By outlining the dimensions of a specific group of commemorative buildings, the mausolea or türbes erected in Ottoman Hungary, this article aims at providing historical contributions to the evaluation and construction methods of the remaining examples of this building type in Hungary. For this reason, the dimensions of the Türbe of Gül Baba and the Türbe of Idris Baba, the two Shrines in Hungary that still stand, will be investigated.

Bu makalede, Tunceli ili, Hozat ilçe merkezinde bulunan Osmanlı Dönemi’ne ait mimari eserler ele alınmıştır. Tunceli ili, Arkeoloji ve Sanat Tarihi araştırmaları yönüyle eksik çalışılmış bir yerdir. Bölgedeki çalışmalar, 1970 yıllarında Keban Barajı Kurtarma Kazıları kapsamında yoğunluk kazanmıştır. Sanat Tarihi yönüyle ele alındığında ise özellikle anıtsal mimari ve birkaç ilçe merkezi (Çemişgezek, Pertek ve Mazgirt) ile sınırlı kalmıştır. Çalışmaların belli bir süre sonra kesintiye uğradığı anlaşılmaktadır. Son yıllarda az da olsa konuyla ilgili bilimsel faaliyetlerin yapıldığı söylenebilir. Hozat ilçe merkezinde yapılan çalışmada Osmanlı Dönemi’ne ait 1 cami, 1 hamam, 5 çeşme, 1 köprü, sokak dokusu ve sivil konut örnekleri tespit edilmiştir. Bu makaleyle birlikte, arşiv belgeleri ışığında Hozat ilçe merkezinin Osmanlı Dönemi’ndeki kuruluşu hakkında bilgi verilmiş ve ilçe merkezinde bulunan Osmanlı Dönemi’ne ait tarihi eserlerin ilk defa bilim dünyasına tanıtılması, Sanat Tarihi içerisindeki yeri ve önemi vurgulanmaya çalışılmıştır.

1361 yılında Sultan I. Murad tarafından fethedilen Edirne, İstanbul’un fethine kadar Osmanlı Devleti’ne başkentlik yapmıştır. Başkent olduktan sonra kentin imarına önem verilmiş ve kentte pek çok eser inşa edilmiştir. Bünyesinde barındırdığı şaheserlerle Osmanlı Devleti tarihindeki yerini alan Edirne ve yöresi, anıtsal mimarisi ile dikkat çeken bir yerleşim yeri olmuştur. Bu mimarinin içinde su yapıları ayrı bir yer tutmaktadır. Türklerin temizliğe verdiği önem ve İslam dini hükümleri çerçevesinde kent merkezinde ve çevresinde pek çok su yapısı inşa edilmiştir. Bu yapılar içinde hamamlar kent tarihi ve kent dokusunun gelişmesinde bizlere önemli bilgiler vermektedir.Edirne kentinin güneyinde ve aynı zamanda Çanakkale Boğazı güzergâhında yer alan Keşan, günümüze ulaşan iki önemli hamam yapısıyla dikkat çeker. Bu hamamlardan her ikisi de bugün ilçe merkezindedir. Hamamlardan daha büyük boyutlu olan ve asıl konumuzu oluşturan Eski Hamam, daha önce yazılı belgelerle yayınlanmamış olup ilk kez bu çalışma ile bilim dünyasına tanıtılacaktır.Bu çalışmada Edirne’nin Keşan ilçesinde bulunan ve daha önce arşiv belgelerinde de adına rastlamadığımız bir hamam yapısını malzeme, plan, mimari ve süsleme özellikleri açısından değerlendirerek Türk hamam mimarisi içindeki yerini belirlemeye çalışacağız. Ayrıca yapının tarihlendirilmesine üzerine kısa bir değerlendirme yapılacaktır.

This study aims to investigate three architectural projects proposed for constructing a central prison inside the Yedikule Fortress in Istanbul during the end of the 19th c. Ottoman State assigned the famous architects of the era for this mission such as August Jasmund, Alexandre Vallaury, and Kemaleddin. The narration on the projects shows that there was a strong intention for constructing a central prison in the capital of Ottoman Empire as a sign of success for the overall penalty and prison reform that was one of the main goals for Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II (r. 1876-1909). The interpretation of these distinctive projects is significant since this interpretation helps us both to understand the transformation of the criminal justice spaces of the Ottoman Empire and to provide a new perspective for reading 19th c. Ottoman architecture.

Usually, of most studies on the Ottoman architecture in the Balkans are done by comparing between the numbers of buildings then and now. This paper discusses such method with regard to its comparative advantage and maximising its use in understanding Ottoman architecture. With Greece as a case study, the present paper identifies change in the quantity of Ottoman buildings considering the archetypal, functional, chronological, and geographical evidence, in the changing context of the nature of the Ottoman rule over centuries.The scholar provides new statistics presenting the numbers of Ottoman buildings in Greece over centuries, with special reference to three periods: the second half of the 17th century (time of EvliyâÇelebi), the late period of the Ottoman rule in Greece (based on Iyverdi’s statistics, the Ottoman slanames, and Kamûs-ülÂ'lâm of Şemseddin), and the existing architectural heritage in light of the recent publications and fieldworks’ results. Through statistical methods, this research identifies quantitative change of several types of buildings, proper to each region or in Greece as a whole.It observes the growth or decay of the pace of construction on the basis of three main factors: type of building, period, and region. The most significant results come from the comparison between the numbers of the Ottoman buildings in Greece dating to Evliyâ’s time at the end of the 17th century and the last decades of the Ottoman rule.The statistic table and the two charts with function and region indexes clarify to what extent the change in the number of buildings according to their function and region summarises the different phases of the Ottoman rule and the nature of each phase. The paper shows that the change in the numbers of buildings according to their function summarizes the alteration in nature of the Ottoman policy over the centuries, and the numbers of extant buildings strongly relate to the history and site of the corresponding regions. The paper clarifies that the reasons beyond the demolition of ottoman buildings in Greece include both human and natural factors, and concludes with a recommendation of preserving and reuse of extant ottoman structures.

The class phenomenon is a social case that exists in every society, despite that all the theories tries to deny it. It is an old phenomenon which refers to the beginning of the life of human beings. Previous researchs refer this phenomenon to a number of factors, such as: econnmical basis, professional basis, lifestyle and cultural prevailing of that time, and according to that, sociologists classified these differences within social classes. They affect the social status, behavior, values and lifestyle of people, as well as their place of residence and design. Accordingly, this paper has been designed to expalin the influence of social classes on the design of residential buildings through a historical and analytical approach that illustrates and confirms the research idea. This research assumes that the social phenomenon has a role in creating differences between the designs of traditional residential buildings. In order to prove this, the Erbil Citadel has been chosen as a model of this practical study, because it has clear divisions that consist of three different regions (Saray, Takiya and Topkhana), these divisions are taken from the class divisions of the Ottoman Empire, because the Citadel was a part of the Ottoman Empire until 1918. The research has been divided into two main sections. In the first section, the theoretical aspects of the study have been identified. The concept of layers and the reasons for their appearance have been examined, as the Erbil Citadel has been studied historically. In the second section, the most important analysis of the impact of social classes on the design of residential buildings heritage in the Erbil Citadel have been examined through the outcomes that are drawn from the first part. Finally, the findings of the study have been discussed and tested.

From the first quarter of the 18th century, a new perspective for European civilization was adopted by the Ottoman Empire and this Westernization concept was transformed into an essential revolutionary movement in governmental and social structure. Therefore, the initials steps of implementing any change were taken with the decision of constructing the buildings with new functions that are required as the necessary structures of modern state and public, according to European architectural design models with modern building materials and construction technologies. Building materials fabricated by European industry, such as brick, steel and concrete, as well as construction technologies like brick arch, steel-frame and concrete were important determinants in the historical evolution of Ottoman architecture after the first quarter of the 19th century. One of the first structures built with the new function and construction technology of Ottoman architecture is Pera Palace Hotel (1895) designed by famous architect of this period, Alexander Vallaury. Apart from the Ottoman palaces, it's a building that the first electricity is supplied, the first elevator is located and the first hot water is active. In this paper, the architectural characteristics of the first modern hotel structure built in the Pera region, the construction system vertically supported by prefabricated bricks and arched floor with steel beams will be carried out in the frame of the original architectural projects. The significance of the building will be revealed in terms of cultural values of the Ottoman architecture.

In order to better learn the architecture of the past, it is necessary to better understand the mainstream architectural though of the period. In addition to its architectural works, the period’s architecture-related written literature offers a way to study the period’s mindset. Nevertheless, there are few texts among the Islamic period literature explicitly and directly discussing architecture. Tazkara-t’al-Bonian and Tazkara-t’al-Abnieh are two texts from this rare genre, originating from the Ottoman era, and containing biographical and professional memoirs of Sinan, the great architect of the Islamic world. One could ask the ways in and the degree to which Sinan’s mindset can be read through these and other related texts from this period; what have been the influential ingredients, concepts and individuals of his mindset, and to what degree they have been influential? The present paper is an attempt to explore and unearth Sinan’s mindset through the above texts as well as other texts such as Resala-t’al-Memarieh and Tohfa-t’al-Memarin for present-day architectural researchers.For Sinan these texts were supposed to work as best practice instructions written to his own request by a trusted person, in the hope that he would be benignly remembered and his career would be recognized by his successors. Generally speaking, Sinan recognised two groups as having a meritorious status: the profession’s veterans and spiritual supporters, and the patrons. There are other dimensions to the architect’s mindset—Sinan in this case—under Ottoman order, based on concepts such as offering, Kaaba holiness, and being loyal to the past. Sinan’s mindset had clear spiritual dimensions, and his most important goal was being blessed and redeemed. He hoped to compete with the past and win pride for the Islamic world.

The aim of this article is to examine the construction techniques of the irregular column capitals which are located at the junction of portico and courtyard arcades (revak) of six Ottoman mosques. The porticos height of the closed-courtyard mosques built during the Ottoman period regarding is mostly equal. However, in six cases, the porticos of the mosques are higher than their side porticos, which led alternative solutions to keep the continuity of the arcade surrounding the courtyard. The first phase of this study focuses on the construction techniques and materials of the column capitals in Ottoman architecture and the second phase deals with irregular capitals including their characteristics (sizes, materials, and relations with other building elements). For this purpose, detailed drawings were prepared through the site examinations and the literature review. As a result, despite that their size and shape vary depending on construction period, the relationship between last prayer hall and courtyard, structural aspects, and visual concern, their construction techniques, materials, and components show similar properties.

The works of the Ottoman Empire’s Master Architect Sinan that he attached great importance to and produced the greatest in number were mosques. Mimar Sinan made use of multiple-support systems such as 4, 6 and 8-baldachins in his domed structures, planning the layouts of his domed buildings around the framework of these systems. In this article, five of Mimar Sinan’s square baldachin, singledomed mosques (Edirnekapı Mihrimah Sultan, Zal Mahmut Pasha, Lüleburgaz Sokullu Mehmet Pasha, Fatih Bali Pasha and Manisa Muradiye) are selected, aiming to present an essay on the observed influence of Byzantine architecture in the domed square-baldachin and adjacent spaces that form the main area of these buildings.

In this study, regarding mosque architecture, the development of 20th century mosque architecture in Turkey is tried to be clarified by means of examining the design approaches in today’s architecture. Some samples concerning development of contemporary design are selected, and these samples are examined in terms of form and functional relation, space organization, general architectural properties, and the use of traditional elements. In this way, the situation of contemporary mosque architecture in Turkey, traditional plan specifications, and the schematic innovations in the functional and symbolic usage of elements which are unchanging components of mosque architecture such as dome, minaret, direction niche (mihrab), pulpit (minbar), preaching stand and courtyard as well as modern style and order pursuits are tried to be presented.

Travelers’ works provide us with very wealthy data including maps, engravings, drawings, inscriptions, accounts, stories etc. These data answer many questions when studying historical buildings; esp. for those which destroyed completely or partially. In this context this paper aims to identify the Hadji ‘Ali Mosque (the so-called KüçükCami). It is located in the south-eastern part of the Roman Agora of the old City of Athens. This monument is almost completely absent in any historical-archaeological map of Athens and in the published studies of the Ottoman monuments of Athens as well. Moreover the surviving monuments of Ottoman architecture are in general little known and hardly studied. So this article also aims to clarify, as far as possible, the history and architecture of an Athenian mosque, the Hadji ‘Ali, through the surviving traces of the building and with the help of the data provided by many accounts of travelers to Athens.

Makale, "daha iyi yaşanacak kentler" arayışını insanın hayatını anlamlandırması- mekan ilişkisi bağlamında göstergebilimsel bir yaklaşımla ele almaktadır. Vaolduğu ilk andan itibaren mekana biçim veren ve bu biçim verişinde hayatı algılayışı ve anlamlandırmasının etkisi olan insan, mekanla sadece fiziksel değil, aynı zamanda psikolojik bir bağ kurmaktadır. Makalede, insanın anlamlandırma çabası ile mekan arasındaki bağ çeşitli örneklerle açıklanmakta, özellikle Kur'an ile hayatını anlamlandırmaya çalışan insanın, "Kur'an insanı" olma yolundaki çabasının mekanlara nasıl yansıdığına dair örnekler verilmektedir.

This article examines the life and works of British architect William James Smith and outlines his contributions to nineteenth century Ottoman architecture and presents his prominence as an architectural historian of nineteenth century British architectural work.

The paper investigates the Mehmet Khalil Agha Mosque in the Greek city of Drama as a case study highlights the existed Ottoman monuments in Greece; and draws as well the attention to preserve those which in need of restoration among which. It gives a brief historical layout of the city of drama under the Ottoman domination, specifically in light of EvliyaÇelebi description, and then notes the existed Ottoman monuments in Drama. It provides a detailed documentation of the Mosque in its current state including its fine wall-paintings and inscription.

The unique characteristics of the Jericho area provide excellent opportunities for the proper valorisation and promotion of existing resources. The conservation project for some historical mud-brick buildings respects the principles of eco-sustainability and biocompatibility. The life-cycle of materials and renewable resources are of the utmost importance for both reflecting on the interaction between humans and the environment, and for attempting to safeguard the local cultural heritage even though it has been severely impoverished by the continuous geopolitical instability.

Citing several case studies, the article analyzes the processes whereby Ottoman-era homes on the outskirts (or fahs) of Algiers were transformed. It examines many aspects of these makeovers: the context (the property transfer of early colonization), the agents, and the type of renovation. In particular, it aims to demonstrate that alongside radical actions like demolition or abandonment, other appropriation phenomena emerged. Combining preservation and decorative invention, today these dwellings contribute to asserting the singularity of Algiers architecture.