Süleyman I

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Scope note
Refers to the style and period that coincided with the reign of Suleyman I, known in Turkey as Kanuni (lawgiver) and in the West as the Magnificent, 1520 to 1566. Suleyman's reign is seen as the height of Ottoman political, economic, and cultural development, and the artistic institutions and systems of patronage established during his reign set the standard that Suleyman's two successors, Selim II and Murad III. Under Suleyman, two major art institutions underwent significant change. The office of chief architect was held for most of his reign by Sinan, who oversaw the construction of a vast number of religious, educational, and economic buildings. Sinan restructured the unadorned external elevation of the Ottoman mosque with a battery of articulating devices such as single or double entrance porticoes, interlocking volumes of domes and semi-domes, and a new type of slender, pencil-like minaret of great height. This style is best exemplified in Sinan's Selimiye mosque at Edirne, 1569-1575. Also under Sulyeman, two branches of the royal design studio brought about the basic synthesis of the new Ottoman imperial style in decoration and book illustration. Iznik tiles of this period are considered to be unparalleled in their depth of tone and richness of color, with the introduction of bold reds, purples, blues, and olive greens. Carpets manufactured at Ushak in southern Anatolia, became more complex and controlled in pattern, with richer velvet like surfaces.
Süleyman I
Accepted term: 29-Apr-2024