To the origins
It all begins in 7500 BC, at Çatal Höyük. It is here, in the heart of Anatolia, that researchers have discovered traces of the very first city in history. Refuge of hunter-gatherers newly sedentarized, the city counted nearly 2 000 houses built in brick on stone foundation. Grouped by 5 or 6 around a courtyard and rectangular in shape, the houses were placed one against the other, in an assembly that did not draw any street. One moved from roof to roof by accessing the dwelling through a hole drilled in the roof. To know more about this incredible first city, go to the museum of Ankara...
In the IInd millennium before our era, it is the Hittites who will mark the region. Brilliant conquerors and great builders, the Hittites created the first great centralized State of Asia Minor and developed an exceptional architecture, in particular in military matter, as testifies Alaça Höyük, first Hittite capital with its Door of the Sphinxes and its monumental statues, formerly integrated in a vast system of ramparts. Other capital, other jewels, in Hattousa this time. Implanted in the natural defenses of a rock, the city testifies to a great art of urbanism. The lower town houses the religious buildings, while higher up stands the citadel of Bogaz Kale, powerful and austere, protected by its stone monoliths carved into lions. In Kültepe, the remains of a karum, a merchants' quarter protected by a wall, are still visible.
On the banks of Lake Van, the kingdom of Ourartou has left the remains of fortresses and sanctuaries, as on the hill of Toprakkale where traces of a temple dedicated to the god of war Haldi and a subterranean mausoleum whose staircase dug into the rock allowed access to a large room, serving as a sanctuary or royal chamber. The kingdom of Lycia, him, left the vestiges of a deeply spiritual architecture, as testify the rock tombs of Caunos, the superb "tombs with the lions" and "tombs of the harpies" with Xanthe and the sarcophagi on base in the shape of boat on the littoral of Fethiye with Kas. As for the Phrygians, they remained famous for their architecture cut in the cliffs, like in Yazilikoya.
Greco-Roman antiquity
From the 11th century BC, the Greeks settled in Turkey. Their architecture is characterized by a quest for rationality and a great importance given to the search for ideal proportions, this formal research having given birth to the Greek orders. The Doric order is characterized by its simplicity. The Ionic order, on the other hand, is characterized by its elegance, its lightness and its scrolled capitals. The most beautiful temple of Ionic style is to be observed in Priene. It is the temple of Athena Polias, of which 5 columns remain. Its architect, Pytheos, applied the rules of proportions enacted by Aristotle. These two first orders will be followed by the acanthus leaves of the Corinthian order, characteristic of the Hellenistic period. Rationalism was abandoned for the grandiose, and from then on all buildings, not just temples, benefited from this formal research. Thus theaters and porticoes (galleries of columns) multiply. The temple of Artemis in Ephesus, of which one can still observe a fluted column and the terrace of an altar, and the largest temple dedicated to Apollo in Didymes are beautiful examples. Great builders, the Greeks were also town planners of genius, as the plans of Milet and Pergamon testify. The first one, city of origin of the town planner and inventor of the geometrical plan Hippodamos of Milet, is squared by rectilinear streets which intersect at right angle forming islands of the same dimension. The second one abandons the geometrical plan for a plan allowing to adapt perfectly to the relief. The town planners chose to exploit the possibilities of the hills, such as the successive terraces. The theater is thus built on a steep slope, ideal relief for a structure in tiers.
To this Greek teaching, the Romans added their engineering know-how. They introduced roads, bridges and aqueducts. To build faster and on a larger scale, the Romans also used new materials, such as brick. Costing less than stone, brick was also lighter and more manageable. But the great invention of the Romans was, of course, concrete. Like brick, it was easy to produce and use. It is thanks to it that the Romans were able to build their vaults and domes on an ever larger scale and without the need for intermediate supports. The Romans also contributed to urban planning by adding the colonnaded roads whose perspectives can be admired in Ephesus in particular. Among the most beautiful witnesses of the Roman splendor, let us note the theater of Aspendos, the villas of Ephesus and the vestiges of the ancient city of Héraclée de Latmos on the banks of the lake Bafa.
Byzantine Turkey
Now an official religion, Christianity needed new buildings to mark its power. The temples were too small and larger buildings were needed to accommodate the faithful. An astonishing syncretism was then put in place: the Christians developed new architectural solutions on the existing Greco-Roman structures. The baths served as a model for the baptisteries, the mausoleums of the emperors inspired the sanctuaries, while columns and capitals supported the vaults. As for the basilicas - which until then had served as a covered market, public square and court of justice - they became churches. They had to allow the assembly to turn towards the altar: this is how the longitudinal or basilical plan was born with its central hall surrounded by colonnades. With the displacement of the center of power from Rome to Byzantium, the emperor Justinian tried to reconstitute the splendor of the ancient empire by perfecting the ideal of the circular temple. But to the mass and the power sought by Rome succeed the lightness and the elegance with an accumulation of vaults and couples.
The domes of this new Rome symbolize the Cosmos and the Sky, while the light and the atmosphere must concur to elaborate a new divine mysticism. Saint Sophia, with its dome resting on a central plan with 3 naves, is the masterpiece of the time. It took more than 10,000 workers and 100 foremen to realize this splendor whose dome, 56 m high and 31.80 m wide, is raised on a square plan. Another beautiful example is the Church of Saint Sophia in Trabzon. The Byzantine architecture is also characterized by the quasi systematic use of the brick, easy to use and allowing a greater flexibility and the recourse to the curves and to the vaults and by an extremely refined decoration, as the sumptuous decorations of coloured mosaics testify. Christian land during centuries, Cappadocia has a unique religious heritage. There, the churches become rupestral. These last ones are, indeed, dug in the rock, the famous tuff formed by the rejections of ashes and muds of the Erciyes volcano. Underground, these churches do not take any less the Byzantine plan with several naves and domes. Their decoration varies according to the periods, from simple lines of colors and geometrical motives, in the iconoclast period, to the big painted frescos when the safety of the worship is assured. The most beautiful examples of these rock churches are found in Göreme: Elmali Kilise (the apple church), Karanlik Kilise (the black church) and Tokali Kilise (the church with the loop).
Byzantine Turkey is not only religious, it is also military. The Byzantines were indeed masters in the construction of powerful fortifications, like the walls of Istanbul, enlarged in the5th century to reach a length of 21 km. These powerful protectors of brick and stone ensured its defense for a long time. Some theaters and ancient temples were even transformed into fortresses.
Seljuk wealth
From the 11th to the 13th century, the Seljuks made their mark in Anatolia and developed a first Islamic architecture, strongly influenced by Iran, as shown by the iwans - these vaulted rooms closed on 3 sides and open on the4th, delimited by a third-pointed arch, known as the Persian arch -, as well as the domes and ceramics. In general, Seljuk mosques are small, without courtyard, and their exterior is characterized by a high monumental portal spectacularly decorated with stalactites (famous pattern from Iranian tradition also called muqarnas).
The minaret is built of brick on a stone base, its silhouette being enhanced by blue glazed bricks. The schools(medersa) and hospitals(imaret) surrounding the mosque are also the object of all attention. Among the beautiful Seljuk witnesses is the Divrigi complex, called "the miracle of Divrigi" with its Market Gate nicknamed "the textile gate" because of its lace-like decoration composed of highly detailed floral ornaments. In Erzurum, don't miss the medersa with its two fluted minarets inlaid with earthenware and its stalactite entrance porch; and in Konya, take the time to observe the Ince Minare Medersa and its portal mixing floral, geometric and calligraphic decorations. The Seljuks are also famous for their turbes, or tombs, recognizable by their conical roofs, which are hard copies of the royal tent of the ruler. The tomb of the Amir Sultan in Erzurum is a fine example. Finally, the Seljuks left many caravanserais on the trade routes. Square in plan, surrounded by high walls and arranged around a central courtyard, they are true fortresses both sober and harmonious. On the road to Ankara, Horozlu Han, built in the 12th century, is one of the most beautiful.
The great Ottoman era (15th-17th centuries)
With the powerful Ottoman sultans in power, Islam became the official religion of the empire. Many churches are then transformed into mosques, starting with Saint Sophia which is adorned with 4 minarets. The Ottomans realize an amazing transition between the Christian Byzantine values and the Muslim Ottoman principles. This syncretism is essential to understand the Ottoman genius which knew so well how to integrate in a pragmatic and symbolic way the existing structures. Where Justinian sought to erect a single sanctuary, the Ottomans sought to create a monumental type that could be replicated endlessly. Ottoman mosques are characterized by a search for visual and spatial balance; a great importance given to light; a decoration made of mosaics and ornaments all in arabesques, symbol of divine perfection; slender minarets and especially by the systematic use of domes and half-domes creating a pyramidal effect, symbol of spiritual elevation. The most famous representative of this architecture is Sinan, to whom we owe in particular the Sehzade and Sulaymānīyah mosques, which impress by their structure all in height and lightness. But Ottoman architecture is also a deeply political architecture reflecting imperial power. At the head of a gigantic empire, the Ottomans had all the material and financial resources necessary to build numerous sumptuous buildings. Among the great witnesses of this imperial architecture, we find obviously the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. Finally, the Ottomans became famous for their water architecture. A place of purification as well as sociability, the Ottoman fountain is monumental with facades decorated with sculptures and protected by large canopies. These fountains are fed by superb aqueducts inspired by Roman constructions. In addition, there are magnificent hammams with openwork domes that allow a soothing light to penetrate these places of relaxation.
The Ottoman house
The Ottomans also contributed to the development of a housing model that is nowadays commonly referred to as the "Turkish house" and which originally developed in Central Anatolia. In these houses, everything contributes to the respect of the private life which is translated by a stone first floor without openings on the outside. The second floor is made of wood and corbelled. It dominates the street on which it opens with vast balconies with louvers reminiscent of moucharabiehs, allowing women to see without being seen. Inside, everything is organized around the sofa or living room. It is in Safranbolu that you will be able to admire the most beautiful examples of Ottoman houses organized around an interior courtyard with a garden and a fountain. In Istanbul, this Ottoman domestic art of living is reflected in the yalı, wooden summer residences erected along the banks of the Bosphorus(yalı means shore). These yalis are imagined in perfect osmosis with nature. The garden being placed on the sides, nothing disturbs the breathtaking view of the sea on one side and the hill on the other. This hold of nature on the habitat is in perfect adequacy with the Ottoman tradition of the stripping. It is only from the nineteenth century that the facades and decorations of these yalis will be more worked with great reinforcement of wood lace and precious materials. Among the yalis still existing is the yali of Amcazade Hüseyin Pacha. dating from the late seventeenth century, it is the oldest preserved.
Ottoman Eclecticism (18th-20th centuries)
This second Ottoman period marks a major influence of the Western currents, especially in Istanbul. It is under the reign of Sultan Mahmud I that the Ottoman baroque makes its appearance. The great achievement of this period is the complex of the Nurosmaniye mosque, built between 1749 and 1755, whose capitals, arches and moldings can still be seen on the facade. At the end of the eighteenth century, the Westerners are very present in Istanbul. This explains the Ottoman variations in the European fashion. Baroque, Empire, Neo-Gothic, Orientalist (of Andalusian and Maghrebian inspiration) and Neoclassical styles are thus mixed. This mixture of genres will be the source of inspiration of a great family of architects, the Balyans. We owe them in Istanbul the baroque palace of Küçüksu, the mosque of Dolmabahçe, mixing baroque and Renaissance on a classical plan, and especially the palace of Dolmabahçe, literally filled garden. This incredible palace was started in 1843 and completed in 1856. Its maritime facade, 600 m long, is punctuated by 12 doors. Its decoration is of an incredible richness, making dialogue stairs with balustrades and crystal chandeliers. Another important architect at that time, the Italian Raimondo d'Aronco, reinforced this architectural eclecticism with a new style: Art Nouveau. It is the case in particular of the great complex that made build the sultan Abdülhamid II, including in particular a superb library. Finally, it is at the very beginning of the 20th century that the first national architecture appears. The official style adopted by the state from 1908 is an eclectic style dominated by orientalism. Thus, the facades remain in appearance very Western, while inside the spaces keep the Eastern separation private / public, organized around the sofas, these halls distributing the various spaces.
Republic and architectural renewal
As soon as the Republic was proclaimed, the government wanted to distance itself from the Ottoman past and therefore transferred its capital to Ankara. This is how a modest city was transformed into a large urban center with monumental buildings symbolizing the ambition of the young state. This period corresponds to the emergence of a first national style, sometimes called Turkish neoclassical or national architectural Renaissance, because influenced by Seljuk and Ottoman traditions. The post office in Istanbul and the museum of ethnography in Ankara are fine examples. In addition, the new capital lacking architects, we appeal to European designers who will first print a rather neoclassical mark (symmetry, sobriety of lines, columns on facades), before allowing the expression of styles in vogue in Europe as the Bauhaus style with the summer residence Florya Atatürk Marine, or the Art Deco with the station of Ankara. The first years of the Republic were also marked by important hydraulic works, Atatürk wishing to develop the 900 km of the Turkish Euphrates. In total, 22 dams and 19 power plants were built. The second national trend developed a few years later under the impetus of architects such as Sedad Hakki Eldem and can be divided into two architectural impulses. On the one hand, one imagines a "nationalized" modern architecture with very sober, even austere lines. On the other, a regionalist current is launched which puts the modern techniques at the service of the traditional style, as with the great library Atatürk. By being inspired by the traditional habitat, Eldem also gives the taste of the day Ottoman houses.
Contemporary architecture
Even if it is not always easy to get out of the architectural framework inherited from the Ottomans, as shown by the history of the Yesilyurt mosque, whose plans had to be rethought because the architect had imagined a building without a dome, some constructions innovate smoothly like the Green Valley mosque, built in 2010. Designed as two overlapping domes with a separate minaret, it impresses with its white marble structure. In Istanbul, the Sapphire Istanbul tower spearheads sustainable architecture. At 261 meters high, it is one of the city's greenest buildings, meeting the government's green architecture goals. The project of a vast eco-district in the capital, called "Bio Istanbul", is part of this desire to combine architecture and sustainable development. Blending perfectly into the urban fabric thanks to a transparent structure and terraces offering superb views of the Bosphorus, the Zorlu shopping center, with its gardens, is a fine example of sustainable commercial architecture. Designed by the Turkish architect Emre Arolat, it also offers a re-reading of the classical buildings centered around a courtyard. This dialogue with tradition is part of a process of protection and preservation of heritage that is increasingly developing in Turkey.
