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Journal of Architecture, Arts and Heritage (JAH) – Vol. 2, Issue 1, March 2023
e-ISSN: 2822-437X
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Page 1 | 29
Usage of Tile in The Istanbul Building Facades of The Late
Ottoman-Early Republican Period
Miskine Akar1 *
Recep Tayyip Erdogan University
miskine.akar@erdogan.edu.tr
ORCID No: 0000-0002-9743-9401:
Sema Kızılelma2
Atatürk University
semak@atauni.edu.tr
ORCID No: 0000-0002-7883-6604
Submission Date: 18.10.2022 / Acceptance Date: 24.12.2022
ABSTRACT
Tile decoration is one of the main ornamental elements used indoors and outdoors in Turkish-
Islamic art. There are examples of tile decoration in Islamic geography, beginning with Iran,
from Anatolia to the Balkans. It is accepted that the most mature stage of tile decoration,
which entered Anatolia with the Seljuks, was completed in the workshops of Anatolia. Several
successful tile samples were used by the Anatolian Seljuks. In the classical age of the Ottoman,
previous techniques were developed, new ones were added, and competent examples with
a different appearance were given. Tracing this process through tile examples from the
central Ottoman provinces is possible. The most beautiful examples of this period are seen in
cities like Iznik, Bursa, Edirne, Istanbul, etc. In the early Republican period, the reflections of
the efforts to create a national identity in architecture manifested themselves in the
historicist-revivalist approach called National Architecture. In this approach, architectural
elements-ornamentations taken from religious architecture belonging to earlier periods, such
as Ottoman and Seljuk periods, were mostly used on the facades. Leading architects of that
period such as Vedat Tek, Mimar Kemaleddin, and Ali Talat Bey, used tile ornamentation
extensively in the various public buildings they designed. The study aim is to make an
architectural evaluation of the tile decoration used on the facades of buildings in Istanbul,
which was shaped especially by the influence of National Architecture in the late Ottoman-
Early Republican periods. In this context, twenty examples selected from Istanbul were
photographed, documenting their current condition, and the tile decorations on their facades
were examined. As seen in the architectural examples in Istanbul, it can be said that in the
early 20th century, the tile was considered an element that strengthened the national
* Corresponding author.
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character. In this context, it continued the Turkish-Islamic architectural decoration traditions
with its main lines.
KEYWORDS
Istanbul, Late Ottoman-Early Republican Period, early 20th century, National Architectural,
Tile.
INTRODUCTION
The use of tiles on the facades of architectural buildings of the Late Ottoman-
Early Republican periods in Istanbul was chosen as the subject of this study.
The selected buildings are examples built from 1900 to the end of the 1930s
with similar architectural approaches. The study's aims are to make an
architectural evaluation of the period tiles used on the facades of twenty
buildings built with certain architectural understandings in Istanbul in the
historical process discussed, in addition to documenting the status of the
buildings and contributing to the literature. As a method, the relevant
literature was reviewed, and the buildings were photographed with on-site
observations. Various analyses evaluated the tiles used on the facades of the
buildings. This study will likely be a preliminary study/basis for subsequent
studies in literature. To analyse the use of tiles on building facades that were
constructed in Istanbul during the Late Ottoman-Early Republican period
more accurately, it was considered important to mention the historical
development of tile in Turkey in the study's introduction after mentioning
the word tile's etymological origin (çînî). For this purpose, the basic lines of
tile decoration during the Seljuk-Ottoman periods are given. Then, the First
National Architectural Movement, one of the mainstream architectural
approaches of the Late Ottoman-Early Republic periods, was mentioned. In
the next part of the study (Results), determinations and analyses of the tile
decorations on the facades of twenty buildings reflecting similar
architectural styles built in Istanbul during the period in question were made.
In the last part of the study (the conclusion), the results and analyses were
evaluated, and some recommendations were given.
Usage of Tile in The Istanbul Building Facades of The Late Ottoman-Early
Republican Period
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HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF TILE
When the word tile (çînî) (Chinese work, belongs to China) is examined
etymologically, it is used in Ottoman Turkish to refer to the Chinese who
introduced the art of tile/porcelain to the world (Yetkin, 1993). The technical
definition of the tile is a "glazed vessel" (Devellioğlu, 2013); glazed on one
side and porous on the other to protect the walls from moisture and give
them a more aesthetic appearance (Hasol, 2020). Good quality clean
clay/soil (Çiftçi, 2011; Öney, 1992), the combination of water and fire with
spectacular colors made up the tile. The glaze melts by coloring, glazing, and
baking sheets of different forms a protective translucent layer on the plate
made of tile paste. This structure became the basis for tile art and created a
colorful layer on architectural buildings that did not fade over time (Yetkin,
1993). The glaze, an indispensable component of tile panels, provides a
glass-like surface with both decorative and functional features; glazed tiles
provide richness to the architecture and insulation for the walls against
moisture and water (Hanifi & Maleki, 2016). The first examples of colored
glaze used on bricks were encountered in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia
(Arseven, 1984; Yetkin, 1993). As a result, the tile can be said to have
originated with glazed bricks (Uncuoğlu, 1992).
For centuries in Islamic architecture, tile development was pioneered by
states such as Uyghur, Ghazni, Qarakhanid and Great Seljuk (Öney, 1992;
Çiftçi, 2011). However, the continuous use of tile in the architectural
decoration order started with the Great Seljuks of Iran. The intensive use of
tile in architecture and its transition to a more developed phase coincides
with the end of the 13th century. In this period, much richer patterns and
more advanced techniques emerged in Anatolia than inn Iranian geography.
For this reason, the actual development of tile is considered to have begun
during the Anatolian Seljuk period (Uncuoğlu, 1992; Öney, 1992). Tile,
among the main ornamental elements of architecture in Anatolian Seljuks
(Öney, 1992), showed significant developments; in particular, with the
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mosaic tile technique, mature tile samples were given in provinces such as
Konya, Sivas, and Kayseri. In addition to the mosaic tiles used inside the
dome, transition elements to the dome (trompe, penndentive etc.), mihrabs,
arches, niches and walls, raised tiles were used in epigraphs/inscriptions and
scripts (kufic calligraphy etc.) (Öney, 1992; Çiftçi, 2011). Developed tiles in
various techniques were produced in monumental buildings of the Anatolian
Seljuk period (13th century) such as Sırçalı Madrasah, Konya Karatay
Madrasah, Keykâvus Dârüşşifâsı (hospital), Gök Madrasah (Fig. 1), (Fig. 2).
Anatolian Seljuks used a certain glazed coating to decorate many
monumental buildings. In tiles of the Seljuk period, glazed brick practices are
seen with underglaze, luster, minai, monochrome glaze, tile mosaic (glaze
scraping), gilding, relief, and fake tile mosaic techniques (Konya Büyükşehir
Belediyesi, 2022). Monochrome glazed tiles and tile mosaics were mostly
used in public and religious buildings while they used underglaze, luster and
minai techniques in palaces (Öney, 1992; Çiftçi, 2011). The characteristic
colors of the period such as turquoise, cobalt /navy blue (Öney, 1992), black,
green, yellow, dark purple, dirty white (Uncuoğlu, 1992) were blended on
the triangle-square-rectangular-hexagonal-star and sometimes cross-
shaped plates. Tile ornamentation, which the Seljuks blended with glazed
coatings and bricks in their monumental buildings to color the facades, was
an exterior element in Iranian geography until very late periods. The
Anatolian Seljuks, who brought tile to Anatolia (Çiftçi, 2011), compared to
the Great Seljuks, used tiles in exterior decoration to a lesser extent, but
generally in interior decoration. The most notable tiles, dated as early as the
12th century in Anatolia, have emerged in the palace ruins. The earliest
examples in this context are Kilij Arslan ll Mansion (1156-1179) are tiles in
the minai technique. The tiles belonging to the Kubadabad Palace (1226-
1237) are considered among the most remarkable examples that offer a
unique richness in terms of technique, color, and style in Islamic tile art
(Konya Büyükşehir Belediyesi, 2022) (Fig. 1).
Usage of Tile in The Istanbul Building Facades of The Late Ottoman-Early
Republican Period
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Anatolian Seljuk tiles have a rich and varied use of motifs. As can be seen in
Figure 1 and Figure 2, tiles with various human and animal figures were
found especially in administrative buildings (palaces, state houses, etc.).
Among these figures, are sphinxes (human-headed animals), sirens (the
figure with a female head and breasts, a bird with a body and tail), double-
headed eagles (Seljuk coat of arms), griffins (mythological creatures with a
usually lion's body, eagle-winged and head), standing human or cross-legged
figures and animals such as bird-fish-dog-horse-donkey-duck-rabbit-
peacock. In addition to these, geometric patterns, vegetative motifs (flowers
and branches, leaves etc.), rumi motifs and kufic calligraphy/scripts were
also encountered, especially in religious buildings.
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
Figure 1. Kubadabad Palace tiles in underglaze or luster technique, near
Beyşehir, 13th century; 1: Star-shaped in luster technique with sphinx
figure, 2: Star shaped tile with a double-headed eagle, 3: Star shaped tile
with a human figure, 4: Star shaped tile with a cross-legged human figure,
5: Star shaped tile with a figure, 6: Star shaped tile with griffon figure, 7:
Geometric and vegetal decorated cross shaped tile (Konya Büyükşehir
Belediyesi, 2022), 8: Square shaped tile with "Allah" in Kufic line in
underglaze technique (Öney, 1992).
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1 2 3
Figure 2. 1: A detail from the mausoleum facade of Keykavus Hospital,
Sivas 13th-century, 2: Tile decoration on the dome and pendentive of
Karatay Madrasa, Konya, 13th century (Yetkin, 1993), 3: Tile mosaic
decoration on the walls of Konya Karatay Madrasa, 13th century (Öney,
1992).
Although the tile art which developed with the Anatolian Seljuks in the 14th
century, continued to develop with only a few examples (Birgi Ulu Mosque,
etc.) in the Anatolian Beyliks period. The general stagnation experienced
during this period can be seen as a transition process to the Ottoman period
(Uncuoğlu, 1992). In the early period of the Ottoman, the mosaic tile
techniques which were mostly used in the Anatolian Seljuks period were
used; however, new techniques were added to the existing techniques, and
tile decoration continued to develop in a completely different direction.
Monochrome tiles have been identified since the Early Ottoman period. The
use of monochrome tiles became widespread, as can be seen in Iznik Orhan
Imaret (1335), Bursa Green (Yeşil) Complex (especially Green (Yeşil) Tomb,
1420) (Fig. 3) and Muradiye Complex (1425-26) (Fig. 4), which are among the
early Ottoman buildings. During this period, richer tiles are seen in terms of
color variety. However, yellow and light green colors have decreased or
disappeared over time. In the classical Ottoman period colors such as
turquoise, blue and its shades, navy blue (cobalt), emerald, green, coral red,
brown and black (in contours) (Karaca, 2022) dominated tile compositions.
The mosaic tile technique was rarely used in Ottoman tile art after the
middle of the 15th-century. The most beautiful of the last examples of this
Usage of Tile in The Istanbul Building Facades of The Late Ottoman-Early
Republican Period
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technique in the Ottoman Empire can be seen in the iwan of the Tiled (Çinili)
Pavilion/Kiosk in Istanbul. In this composition, we come across a rich design
in which hatais, rumi and kufic script are used together (Fig. 5). From the
middle of the 14th century, most of the previously used techniques, such as
the mosaic tile technique, were abandoned and the glazing technique began
to be widely used. Tile decoration has gained different appearances in
colors-motifs and techniques used in each period or change from period to
period depending on time and place. The techniques developed in tile
decoration in the historical process can be listed as follows: Mosaic tile
(Öney, 1992, pp. 79), minai, luster (polishing) (Öney, 1992, pp. 100), onglaze,
underglaze (Öney, 1992, pp. 99), colored glaze, slip and angop techniques
(Uncuoğlu, 1992, pp. 80-81).
In Ottoman tile decoration, applications handled with advanced techniques
and fine artistry, quality and delicate approach came to the forefront. In that
tile compositions which does not overshadow the architecture, it can be
seen: Numerous flower types such as tulips, hyacinths, carnations, peonies,
rosebuds, susen and daffodils; vegetative shapes such as spring branches,
blooming trees, dagger-shaped curved sharp-toothed leaves, cypress and
even fruit trees (grape clusters, apple etc.) (Yetkin, 1993). In addition to
these stylized natural forms and symbols, motifs such as; rumi, hatai, panj
(penç: Stylization of a bird's eye view of flowers), sunburst (şemse: stylizing
the figure of sun), chain, ortabag (center motif) (Karaca, 2022), cintemani
(three spot) (Çiftçi, 2011), cloud etc. and sometimes imaginary animals
figures were encountered. The tiles in these patterns and forms are used
both indoors and outdoors in architecture such as; domes, mihrab and walls,
pulpits, arch corners-intrados, door-window pediments, parapets, cornices,
borders, etc. (Fig. 6), (Fig. 7), (Fig. 8), (Fig. 9), (Fig. 10), (Fig. 11).
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Figure 3. Early Ottoman underglaze tiles in Green (Yeşil) Complex, Bursa,
1420 (Akar, 2018-2022).
Figure 4. Muradiye Complex underglaze tiles, Bursa, 1425-1426 (Akar,
2018-2022).
Figure 5. Tiled (Çinili) Pavilion/Kiosk entrance iwan mosaic tiles and gilded
interior tiles, Istanbul, 1472 (Akar, 2018-2022).
Figure 6. Rüstem Paşa Mosque underglaze tiles, Istanbul, 1563 (Akar,
2018-2022).
Usage of Tile in The Istanbul Building Facades of The Late Ottoman-Early
Republican Period
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Figure 7. Underglaze tiles in the Topkapı Palace Harem, Istanbul, 16th-17th
century (Akar, 2018-2022).
Figure 8. Underglaze tiles in the Topkapı Palace Harem, Istanbul, 16th-17th
century (Akar, 2018-2022).
Figure 9. Underglaze tiles and European tiles (ulama tile) in the Topkapı
Palace Harem, Istanbul, 18th-20th century (Akar, 2018-2022).
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Figure 10. Eyüp Mosque underglaze tiles, Istanbul, 15th -18th century
(Akar, 2018-2022).
Figure 11. Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha Mosque underglaze tiles, Istanbul, 1734
(Akar, 2018-2022).
The tile production centers of the Ottoman period were first Iznik and
Kütahya and then workshops in Bursa, Edirne, and Istanbul (Karaca, 2022).
Iznik, one of the first capitals of the Ottoman Empire, is an important center
that played a great role in developing tile making. In the Iznik tile workshops,
where tile production was started in the middle of the 16th century, new
techniques were developed until the end of the 17th century and a fast and
continuous production could be achieved (Çiftçi, 2011). Instead of mosaic
and gold-gilded tiles in these workshops, tiles were produced in square
plates with a colored glaze technique (Yetkin, 1993). After the end of Iznik
tiles in the 18th century, Kütahya tile workshops, which started production
at similar times to Iznik workshops, began to spread. Former Iznik tiles were
Usage of Tile in The Istanbul Building Facades of The Late Ottoman-Early
Republican Period
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revived in these tiles (Çiftçi, 2011). In addition to the production of Kütahya
tiles, the closure of the Tekfur Palace workshops, which were opened during
the reign of Ahmed III, where the Iznik tiles were revived, in the middle of
the century created a new deficit in tile production. During this period,
imported European tiles began to enter the Ottoman palace (Adıgüzel,
2014). Among the reasons for the stagnation in tile production in the late
18th century-early 19th century were the closure of tile workshops, the less
construction of architectural buildings and competition with the good of
import etc. Towards the end of the 19th century the production of tile
workshops which opened in the Abdülhamid ll period was also very limited
(Çiftçi, 2011). In the last decade of the Ottoman period and in the Early
Republican period, masters such as Hafız Mehmed Emin Usta, who revived
and continued the art of Iznik tile in the workshops in Kütahya, produced the
tile needs of the newly built (Sirkeci Grand Post Office, Büyükada Pier,
Haydarpaşa Pier, Sirkeci-Karaköy business office buildings etc.) (Url-1) and
repaired buildings. In these tiles, mostly classical Ottoman period motifs and
compositions were tried.
The historical period that is researched on this study (late 19th- early 20th
century): It is the late period of Ottoman architecture and the early years of
the architecture of the Republic period. In this period, the dominant
architectural trend is National Architecture. The National Architecture
Period: National Architecture, National Style, National Architectural Style, It
is also known as the National Architectural Renaissance and the Turkish
Neoclassical Style. The National Architecture Period is divided into two by
researchers. 19th century The First National Architecture Period lasted from
the late 1930s to the 1930s; the years between 1930 and 1950 are known as
the Second National Architecture Period (Sarımeşe, 2022, pp. 20).
Besides the few developments developed by architects, this process was a
period in which designs/applications referencing Seljuk-Ottoman
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architectures were widely seen. The National Architecture movement,
known by various names, was also seen as an Ottoman revival (Bozdağan,
2012), and began to show its influence after the second half of the 19th
century. The National Architecture movement was the primary architectural
trend followed by the state, especially during the Second Constitutional
Period (1908-1920). In the buildings built under the influence of First
National Architecture dome-false domes, pointed arches, cantilevers, eaves,
triangular pediments, corner towers and symmetrical elements and some
arts of Old Turkish ornamentation arts such as tile and inlaid work have come
to the forefront. Tile panels continued to be used frequently, especially in
the interior and exterior facades of the buildings of the First National
Architecture period, after the Republic, as it was during the Second
Constitutional Era. The influence of the Seljuk and Ottoman periods could
be observed in the tiles produced at this time, while architecture was
handled with a selective process. During these periods tile patterns were
revived and made in Kütahya workshops, and then tile panels were used on
the building facades. The famous architects of this period, Kemaleddin Bey
and Vedat Tek, mostly used samples of stone, marble, and tile (Demirarslan
& Demirarslan, 2021).
The main architects who built buildings under the influence of National
Architecture; Mimar Kemaleddin (4. Vakıf Hanı, 1911), Vedat Tek (Sirkeci
Grand Post Office, 1908) (Fig. 12), Ali Talat Bey (Beşiktaş Pier, 1913),
Muzaffer Bey (Hürriyet Monument, 1909), Hovsep Anzavuryan (Mısır
Apartment, 1910), Yervant Terziyan (Fatih Şehremaneti, 1914), Mihran
Azaryan (Büyükada Pier, 1915) ve Levon Nafilyan (Agopyan Han, 1921),
Ahmet Burhanettin Tamcı (Gazi Train Station, 1926), Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu
(Ankara Ethnography Museum, 1927) and Guilio Mongeri (Ulus Iş Bank,
1929). The buildings representing this architectural perception in big cities
such as Istanbul and Izmir, especially in Ankara, the capital of the country,
and in many Anatolian cities such as Konya and Kayseri were built by local
and foreign architects. So much so that the existing buildings were clear of
Usage of Tile in The Istanbul Building Facades of The Late Ottoman-Early
Republican Period
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baroque architectural elements (stone cone, round arch, etc.) and details
(garland motif, curved lines) and replaced with architectural applications
representing the First National Architectural movement (Sarımeşe, 2022).
Figure 12. The first large-scale building of the «National Architecture
Renaissance» in Istanbul - The Grand Post Office, Sirkeci (1909), by Vedat
Bey (Bozdağan, 2012).
RESEARCH AND RESULTS
Existing buildings, which were built with the influence of National
Architecture in various districts of Istanbul, mostly in the Late Ottoman
period and less in the Early Republican period, and which have survived to
the present day by preserving their originality, have been chosen as the
material of this study. The tiles on the façades of these buildings were
evaluated by reviewing the literature on these buildings and documenting
their current conditions. In the last years of the Ottoman period and during
the Early Republic, it was a common tendency to handle architectural
practices under the influence of National Architecture, especially in public
buildings. Therefore, there are many examples in Istanbul that this
movement has influenced. Due to the scope of the study and time
constraints, it is not possible to include all these samples in this research.
Therefore, within the scope of the study, among the buildings that are
thought to reflect the characteristics of the period in question, various types
of buildings were selected according to their functional diversity. In addition,
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it has been taking care to ensure that these buildings can be observed in
their current condition. The locations of the twenty selected buildings in
Istanbul were determined on the Google Earth map (Fig. 13).
Then, in Table 1 are given some information’s of the buildings that are in
question such as; the original name, current name, block-plot-layout
information, the located district, construction year, architect, original
function and architectural movements. Then, in the same table, information
such as the facade of the used tile panels, the tile panels position on the
facades, the colors used in the tiles, the types of motifs/patterns on the tiles
are given. Finally, in Table 2, the general views of the buildings and the
detailed views from the tiles used on the facades were included. The data’s
in Table 1 and Table 2, have been quantified in Figure 14, Figure 15, Figure
16, Figure 17, Figure 18, Figure 19.
Figure 13. Locations of Istanbul and the examined buildings on google
maps (Url-3, 2023).
Usage of Tile in The Istanbul Building Facades of The Late Ottoman-Early
Republican Period
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Table 1. Analysis of the tiles used in the buildings built at the beginning of
the 20th century in Istanbul.
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Table 2(continued). Analysis of the tiles used in the buildings built at the
beginning of the 20th century in Istanbul.
Usage of Tile in The Istanbul Building Facades of The Late Ottoman-Early
Republican Period
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Table 3. Positions and details of the tiles used in the examined buildings on
the facade (Akar, 2018-2022) The source of the middle of the building
photographs No: 05 (Genç, 2019).
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Table 2 (continued): Positions and details of the tiles used in the examined
buildings on the facade (Akar, 2018-2022) The source of the second row
from the left building photos No. 07 (Url-2).
Usage of Tile in The Istanbul Building Facades of The Late Ottoman-Early
Republican Period
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Table 2 (continued): Positions and details of the tiles used in the examined
buildings on the facade (Akar, 2018-2022) The source of some photos of
No.12 and No.14 (Url-2)
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Table 2 (continued): Positions and details of the tiles used in the examined
buildings on the facade (Akar, 2018-2022).
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Republican Period
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Figure 14. The architectural movements or styles that the structures were
influenced.
Figure 15. Original functions of the buildings.
7 7
4
1 1
commercial (office,
business inn)
public (municipality,
bank, administration,…
transportation (pier)
education (high school)
religious (mosque)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
original function of buildings
number of building
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Figure 16. The buildings’ facades which the tile panels are applied.
Figure 18. Tile position on the facades of the buildings.
18
977664
11
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
window-door
tops/pediments
bordures
mouldings-cornices
epigraphes/inscriptio
ns
parapets
window-door spaces
intrados and
pediment of arches
other (rail post-dome
drum-weighning…
number of building
the position of the tile panel
19 17 17
86531
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
turquoise
navy blue
(cobalt blue)
white
red
yellow
green
blcak
brown
number of building
used co lors
Figure 17. Colours used in the tiles on the facades of the
buildings.
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Republican Period
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Figure 19. Type of motif/pattern/shape used in the tiles on the facades of
the buildings.
Within the scope of the research, twenty buildings were selected from
various districts of Istanbul; nine are in Fatih, eight are in Beyoğlu, three are
in Kadıköy, one is in Beşiktaş and one of them located in Adalar district (Table
1). The buildings examined have seen Eclectic features (2 buildings) and most
of them were built under the influence of First National Architecture (18
buildings) (%90) (Fig. 14). The original functions of these buildings are varied;
seven commercial buildings, seven public buildings, four transport buildings,
one educational 23for the religious purpose (Fig. 15). While all the selected
buildings have tiles on the front facade, twelve have tile panels on the side
facades and five have tile panels on the rear facades (Fig. 16). Tile panels are
used on specific parts of the facades as shown in Table 1 and Table 2;
window-door tops/pediments (18 buildings), bordures (9 buildings),
molding-cornices (7 buildings), epigraph/inscriptions (7 buildings), parapets
(6 buildings), window-door spaces/intervals (6 buildings), intrados and
pediment of arches (4 buildings) and railing posts-dome drums-weight
15
7
15
888
5 5
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
vegetative shapes
(curled branch,…
geometric shapes (star,
triangle, octagonal)
plain/mono-
colored/non-…
raised
roundels/hobnails…
rumi
palmet
kufic calligraphy
other motifs (knot
(düğüm), chain…
number of building
motif/pattern/shape t ype
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towers-facade corners, other panels on the facades (11 buildings) (Fig. 17).
The colors used in the detected tiles are as follows; turquoise (in 19 different
places), navy blue (in 17 different places), white (in 17 different places), red
(in 8 different places), yellow (in 6 different places), green (in 5 different
places) and rarely black (in 3 different places) and brown (in 1 place) (Fig.
18). The types of motifs/patterns/shapes used in tile panels vary widely.
These compositions include; vegetative shapes (curled branch, flower, leaf,
hatai etc.), (in 15 different places), plain/mono-colored/non-patterned tiles
(15 different places), geometric patterns (star, triangle, octagonal etc.) (in 8
different places), raised roundel/hobnails (kabara) (in 8 different places),
rumis (in 8 different places), palmets (in 8 different places), kufic
calligraphy/writings (in 5 different places), knot (düğüm), chain (zencerek)-
sunburst (şemse)-mekik motifs (in 5 different places), etc. (Fig. 19).
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
If we compare the use of tiles in the Ottoman, Seljuk and Early Republican
periods, the art of tiles, which came to Anatolia with the Seljuks was used
extensively on building facades and successful experiments were put
forward with rich use in technique and pattern diversity. While some
difficult-to-apply techniques, such as Minai or Luster, were used skillfully by
the Seljuks, these techniques were abandoned in the Ottoman Empire, and
relatively easier underglaze techniques were preferred. Although the Seljuk
period surpasses the Ottoman period in terms of motif-pattern diversity,
new techniques, quality, more abstract and refined compositions appear in
the Ottoman period. The use of tiles, which gradually decreased due to
changing times and conditions, was tried to be continued for a while in the
late Ottoman and Early Republican periods. During this process, it was
attempted to revive past tile examples. At the beginning of the 20th century,
with the influence of the National Architecture movement, the architects of
the period continued to decorate the facades of the buildings with tile
decoration, which they handled with a historicist approach.
Usage of Tile in The Istanbul Building Facades of The Late Ottoman-Early
Republican Period
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The buildings selected as a sample for this research were built in early 20th
century Istanbul at a time when revitalizing-eclectic architectural
movements were widespread. Although the influence of the Seljuk period
can be seen on the tile plates on the facades of the buildings examined (such
as geometric- vegetative motifs, kufi writings etc.), especially the influence
of the classical era of Ottoman is dominant. It is seen that there are
differences in the composition designs, motifs, and color preferences of the
examined tiles. However, the basic principles of the classical Ottoman period
are mainly preserved. It is understood that the tiles of this period were
generally produced in the glazed technique in the Kütahya workshops both
from the writings on the buildings (Haydarpaşa Pier/ Ferry Station, Büyükada
Pier/Ferry Station etc.) and from the related literature (Aslan & Bağbaşı,
2022; Barışta, 1985; Genç, 2019; Demiraslan & Demiraslan, 2021). It was a
widespread architectural feature in the period that valued the front facade
and decorated it more, while keeping the side and rear facades simple. Tile
panels are typically provided on the front facades of the buildings under
consideration. In contrast to the front facades, either no tiles or fewer plain
tiles were preferred on the side and rear facades of the buildings. Rarely, in
buildings such as the Büyükada Pier, which can be well perceived from every
facade, all four facades are decorated with similar tiles. Tile panels are
located on places such as window-door tops/pediments, window- door
spaces, moldings-cornices-bordures-parapets-railings-arches, and
inscriptions etc. While turquoise, dark blue, white and red are dominant in
these tiles, green, black, and brown colors are preferred less frequently. Tile
panels are used on places such as window-door tops, window-door spaces,
moldings-cornices-bordures-parapets-railings- arches, and inscriptions, etc.
In these tiles, turquoise, navy blue, white, and red generally dominated,
while green, black, and brown colors were less preferred. In these tile work
applications which have particularly similar colors the compositions of the
classical period, in which certain forms such as; vegetative shapes (curled
branch, leaf, flower, hatai, etc.), geometric patterns (star, octagon, triangle,
Miskine Akar, Sema Kızılelma
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etc.), plain/mono-colored/non-patterned tiles, hobnail/raised roundel, rumi,
palmet, and kufic calligraphy were mainly preferred and applied. It has been
seen that while plain/mono-colored/non-patterned tiles are generally
located on places like moldings and borders on the sides and rear facades,
rich vegetative and geometric patterns are used in the most visible parts of
the buildings such as the front facade. These were the features that were
considered in previous periods. When the examined buildings are compared
with their contemporaries, such as the Grand National Assembly of Turkey
(ll. TBMM), Konya PTT Building, Ankara Palas, and Aksaray Government
House (Aksaray Hükümet Konağı) which were built under the influence of
the First National Architecture, although the tiles used vary in terms of motif-
pattern, similarities are generally observed in colors and patterns.
The tile applications in these buildings, built at the beginning of the 20th
century, show the ornamental tile features of previous periods. However,
these practices are worth examining because they are eclectic
interpretations of the architectural understandings of their era and allow us
to understand the architectural understandings of that period. In addition,
the efforts to seek nationality or to create a sense of belonging in the
architecture that was valid at that time were served by the tile
ornamentation, which was one of the main architectural decorations of the
previous periods.
How well-known are the quality examples of tiles from a particular period to
the society that inherited them? Based on these examples, can tiles have a
sustainable use in architecture? How should the period tiles used in these
buildings, documents of Turkey’s recent past, be transferred to the next
generation with a continuous and holistic conservation approach? Questions
such as these need to be thought about, and action must be taken. The
patterns and compositions of tile art, which has been one of the main
architectural decorations in the history of Turkish-Islamic art, should be
examined well, and what reflections they may have today should be studied.
As it is understood from the buildings examined, it can be said that even the
Usage of Tile in The Istanbul Building Facades of The Late Ottoman-Early
Republican Period
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preservation of the neglected tile decorations on the building facades is a
luxury situation. Therefore, the issue of maintaining the sustainability of the
tile decoration examples that developed with the Turkish-Islamic
architecture and transferring them to the next generations is related to the
necessary conservation awareness of today's people.
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