18th Century Istanbul, a City on the Brink of Metamorphism

The Voyvoda Street Istanbul Lectures host Prof. Uğur Tanyeli this month with a presentation entitled 18th Century Istanbul: A City on the Brink of Metamorphism, in which he will discuss the transition from “change” to “metamorphism” in 18th century Istanbul. The lecture is scheduled for Wednesday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m.

“Although until the end of the 17th century, change characterizes Istanbul’s history, from the 18th century on, the city’s identity undergoes an actual metamorphosis,” explains Tanyeli. “In this period, the landscape of the Ottoman capital begins a radical transformation as Ottoman upper classes acquire a new perception and appreciation of the natural environment. More importantly, this is a time when aesthetics, luxury and comfort take on new definitions and space and architecture begin to play “modern” roles in social conflicts.” 

Prof. Uğur Tanyeli Uğur Tanyeli was born in 1952, in Ankara. After graduating from the Department of Architecture at the State Academy of Fine Arts in 1976, he started his graduate assistantship in the history of architecture at the same university. In May 1982, he resigned from his post and transferred to the Faculty of Architecture at Istanbul Technical University. In the 1989-90 academic year, he was a visiting lecturer at the University of Michigan. In 1992, he was promoted associate professor at Anadolu University and since August 1998, when he was made professor, he has taught history of architecture at Yıldız Technical University. Tanyeli has published three books to date and over 100 articles. His research interests center on Ottoman architecture and the Modernist period in Turkey. Since 1989, Tanyeli has served as the publishing coordinator for the architecture magazine, Arredamento.

Voyvoda Street Istanbul Lectures Prof. Uğur Tanyeli “18th Century Istanbul: A City on the Brink of Metamorphism” Wednesday, May 10, 2006 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Free admission The Ottoman Bank Museum Bankalar (Voyvoda) Caddesi 35/37 (0212) 334 22 70