DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26747#0529
Chap. YI.
TUEKEY.
465
style is, that we find fiere exaotly tfie same pfienomena in tfie 16th
century tfiat we remarked in tfie 7tfi and 8tfi. At fiotfi tfiese eras tfie
Mafiometans adopted and suited to tfieir purposes tfie styles of tfie
countries in wfiicfi tfiey located tfiemselves. Tfiis was not fiy any
means a necessity imposed upon tfie Turks fiy tfie afisence of any Sara-
cenic style wfiicfi tfiey mig'fit fiave imitatecl. In tfiat very part of tfie
world sucfi a style, complete in all its parts, and fiaving’ acquired a
perfect individuality of expression, had existed for six or seven cen-
turies, ancl tfie very Turks tfiemselves fiad for at least two centuries
in Asia Minor fieen fiuilding mosques witfi ligfit piers and pointed
arcfies supporting airy domes witfi coloured walls and gilded roofs.
All tfiis tfiey forgot ancl afiancloned tfie moment tfiey estafilisfied tfiem-
selves in Europe. If a pointed arcfi is tfiere found, it is an accident;
colour is rarely used, externally at least; tfie plan and form of tfieir
mosques are entirely new to tfiem ; and a new style springs up, differing
in almost every important cfiaracteristic from anytfiing ever practised
fiy a Mafiometan people fiefore. Tfiey do not even seem to liave
employed tfie Greek arcfiitects of tfiat day. Had tfiey done so, tfieir
mosques would have fiad tfie tall cupolas and ligfit arcades of tfie
Tfieotocos and more modem Greek cfiurcfies ; fiut it was not tfiis tfiat
tfiey copied; tfiey went direct to Sta. Sopfiia, tfie greatest and most,
important model of tfie style, tfiougfi one wfiicfi the Greeks themselves
fiad long ceased to imitate, ancl all tfieir sufisequent fiuildings are
copies, more or less exact, of tfie great creation of Justinian.
Having no clrawings on whicfi dcpendence can fie placed, it is diffi-
cult to say wfiat tfie mosque of Mafiomet II. is, tfiough, as tfie earliest,
it is the most interesting of its class. Tfiat of Soliman, 1550-1555, is
avowedly a copy of Sta. Sopfiia, not only in plan and form, fiut even in
size, tfiougfi it surpasses tfie original fioth in details and construction.
Wfien Acfimet fiuilt fiis great rnosque in 1610, tfie style had acquired a
sligfit degree of independence. Tfie idea of St. Sopfiia was still there ;
fiut modified fiotfi in form and detail, so tfiat it was fiecoming a consistent
example of an independent style. After anotfier century of progress
we sfiould fiave lost tfie type of tfie old Justinian cfiurcfi, as coinpletely
in tfie nrosques of Constantinople as in tfie Taje at Agra, and perfiaps
for as nofile a style; fiut unfortunately tfie Levant, and especially tfiis
great capital, always swarms witfi Frankisfi renegades, especially
Italians, many of whom, from tfie superior constructive skill of
Western Europe, fiave fieen employed as engineers and master fiuilders,
and in tfiis capacity fiave not failed to introduce tfieir favourite Re-
naissance. Eoman pillars reappeared sfiortly after tfie time of Acfimet,
witfi Italian pilasters, and fialusters, and consofes; so tfiat fiefore
Osman fiuilt fiis mosque, afiout a century later, tfie style fiad received
its death-filow.
It is very mucfi to fie regretted tfiat we fiave neitfier any verfial
account of tfie mosques of Constantinople, nor any illustrations wfiich
can fie depended upon. The fiest are tfiose pufilisfied fiy Grelot, as
long ago as 1680; fiut like all works of tfiat class in ihat age, they aro
very imperfect: since tfien we fiave had nothing fiut fiippant remarks
TUEKEY.
465
style is, that we find fiere exaotly tfie same pfienomena in tfie 16th
century tfiat we remarked in tfie 7tfi and 8tfi. At fiotfi tfiese eras tfie
Mafiometans adopted and suited to tfieir purposes tfie styles of tfie
countries in wfiicfi tfiey located tfiemselves. Tfiis was not fiy any
means a necessity imposed upon tfie Turks fiy tfie afisence of any Sara-
cenic style wfiicfi tfiey mig'fit fiave imitatecl. In tfiat very part of tfie
world sucfi a style, complete in all its parts, and fiaving’ acquired a
perfect individuality of expression, had existed for six or seven cen-
turies, ancl tfie very Turks tfiemselves fiad for at least two centuries
in Asia Minor fieen fiuilding mosques witfi ligfit piers and pointed
arcfies supporting airy domes witfi coloured walls and gilded roofs.
All tfiis tfiey forgot ancl afiancloned tfie moment tfiey estafilisfied tfiem-
selves in Europe. If a pointed arcfi is tfiere found, it is an accident;
colour is rarely used, externally at least; tfie plan and form of tfieir
mosques are entirely new to tfiem ; and a new style springs up, differing
in almost every important cfiaracteristic from anytfiing ever practised
fiy a Mafiometan people fiefore. Tfiey do not even seem to liave
employed tfie Greek arcfiitects of tfiat day. Had tfiey done so, tfieir
mosques would have fiad tfie tall cupolas and ligfit arcades of tfie
Tfieotocos and more modem Greek cfiurcfies ; fiut it was not tfiis tfiat
tfiey copied; tfiey went direct to Sta. Sopfiia, tfie greatest and most,
important model of tfie style, tfiougfi one wfiicfi the Greeks themselves
fiad long ceased to imitate, ancl all tfieir sufisequent fiuildings are
copies, more or less exact, of tfie great creation of Justinian.
Having no clrawings on whicfi dcpendence can fie placed, it is diffi-
cult to say wfiat tfie mosque of Mafiomet II. is, tfiough, as tfie earliest,
it is the most interesting of its class. Tfiat of Soliman, 1550-1555, is
avowedly a copy of Sta. Sopfiia, not only in plan and form, fiut even in
size, tfiougfi it surpasses tfie original fioth in details and construction.
Wfien Acfimet fiuilt fiis great rnosque in 1610, tfie style had acquired a
sligfit degree of independence. Tfie idea of St. Sopfiia was still there ;
fiut modified fiotfi in form and detail, so tfiat it was fiecoming a consistent
example of an independent style. After anotfier century of progress
we sfiould fiave lost tfie type of tfie old Justinian cfiurcfi, as coinpletely
in tfie nrosques of Constantinople as in tfie Taje at Agra, and perfiaps
for as nofile a style; fiut unfortunately tfie Levant, and especially tfiis
great capital, always swarms witfi Frankisfi renegades, especially
Italians, many of whom, from tfie superior constructive skill of
Western Europe, fiave fieen employed as engineers and master fiuilders,
and in tfiis capacity fiave not failed to introduce tfieir favourite Re-
naissance. Eoman pillars reappeared sfiortly after tfie time of Acfimet,
witfi Italian pilasters, and fialusters, and consofes; so tfiat fiefore
Osman fiuilt fiis mosque, afiout a century later, tfie style fiad received
its death-filow.
It is very mucfi to fie regretted tfiat we fiave neitfier any verfial
account of tfie mosques of Constantinople, nor any illustrations wfiich
can fie depended upon. The fiest are tfiose pufilisfied fiy Grelot, as
long ago as 1680; fiut like all works of tfiat class in ihat age, they aro
very imperfect: since tfien we fiave had nothing fiut fiippant remarks