17th Century Istanbul: Capital of Deprivation and Abundance

The Voyvoda Street Istanbul Lectures host Assoc. Prof. Tülay Artan this month with a presentation entitled "17th Century Istanbul: Capital of Abundance and Deprivation." In her lecture, Tülay discusses the long-lasting conflict opposing a group calling themselves the Kadızâdeliler, who emerged from the ulema in the 17th century, and Sufi leaders such as the Halvetî Sheikh, Abdülmecid Sivâsî Efendi and his followers. She examines as well the effect that socio-economic instability and the continual state of crisis it engendered had on development and construction in Istanbul, and, in particular, on Ottoman monumental architecture, which was essentially dedicated to the provision of religious and social services.

About her lecture Artan said the following, "I address a number of topics from the quarrels that arose during the building of the dependences (külliye) of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, to the personal conflicts of its architect, Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa, and from structural changes in the has (sultan's property and service) workshop of architects, to the development of açık türbes (canopied mausoleums) in the second half of the century."

Held on the second Wednesday of each month from 6:30-8:30 p.m., the Istanbul Lectures focus on the theme "The Three Eras of Istanbul: Byzantine, Ottoman, and Republican."

Assoc. Prof. Tülay Artan After completing her studies in architecture at Middle East Technical University, Artan earned a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her wide ranging areas of interest include historiography; prosopographic studies of the Ottoman elite; applications of Ottoman law and their impact on social and family life; Ottoman households, material culture, consumption history and standards of living; 17th -18th century Ottoman and Middle Eastern history in comparative perspective; and the comparative study of 16th-18th century art, architecture and culture. Among her most recent writings is the article "Questions of Ottoman Identity and Architectural History," published in Rethinking Architectural Historiography, eds. Dana Arnold, Elvan Altan Ergut and Belgin Turan Ozkaya, London, UK, 2006.

Voyvoda Street Istanbul Lectures 17th Century Istanbul: Capital of Abundance and Deprivation Assoc. Prof. Tülay Artan Wednesday, March 14, 2007 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Free admission The Ottoman Bank Museum Bankalar (Voyvoda) Caddesi 35/37 (0212) 334 22 70