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Turkey and The Ottoman Empire
bySusan Daly
The area known as the Ottoman Empire lasted from the early 1200’s until its fall in 1923 during a rebellion led by the Young Turks. This group
was led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and was made up of army officers who
wanted a more democratic government. Ataturk established
modern Turkey as a republic.
The history of Turkey goes from Neolithic times to the present day.
When visiting any area in Turkey you are visiting history, seeing Neolithic remains, Greek, Roman, Byzantine,
Seljuk Turk, Ottoman Turk sites as well as important places for Jews,
Christians and Muslims.
Modern Turkey has also been known as Anatolia,Phrygia,Troy,part of the
Assyrian empire, Galatia, Asia Minor, and Cappadocia. In Christian times it became the Diocese of Pontus and of Asia. It was part of the Byzantine and
Seljuk Empires and finally the Ottoman lands
Neolithic Turkey and Catal Huyuk
For approximately 1600 years , starting in 8,000 BCE, a large Neolithic
settlement existed in central Turkey. It is one of the largest Neolithic sites in the Middle East and had a population
of 2,000-8,000 people during its occupation. Rebecca Daly, a 1994
graduate of Arcadia is doing her PhD research as an archaeologist here.
Part of the dig site covered by a tent.
This huyuk or mound is very tall and the dig goes down many stories.
Burials were commonly
done inside the homes in their
floors.
Catal residents lived in mud brick homes built close together. They entered their
homes from holes in the roof.
An artists drawing of Catal Huyuk
Although Catal Huyuk was abandoned about 6,500 BCE, the area became very important again with the rise of Mesopotamia. Southeastern Turkey was the bread basket for the cities of Sumer and Ur. It had fertile soil and abundant water from the Euphrates
river.
Northern Mesopotamia and the Euphrates river is today the city of Birecik
This food was shipped using the Euphrates river down south to Sumer.
The modern city of Birecik is where the Euphrates river becomes navigable
and was one of the busiest ports on the Euphrates. The river widens here and
flows very fast in deep water.
All across Turkey, there are many sites from the Bible. In the city of Sanliurfa, in a cave, the prophet Abraham was
born. This site is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims since Abraham
is a prophet for all three faiths. The cave is a place of pilgrimage and is part
of a mosque today.
Where the prophet Abraham was born
When Abraham left for the promised land, he left from the city of Harran
People in Harran have lived in these mud brick beehive homes for over
6,000 years. It is only within the last 25 years that people here moved in
ordinary homes. This is the type of home that Abraham would have lived in
while he was in Harran.
A typical living room
Mud brick construction
The main source of fuel is dried animal dung
PergamumThis spectacular city high on a cliff was built by a general of
Alexander the Great. It was later added to by the Romans.
Modern Bergama below with the ruins of Pergamum.
A theater that seated 20,000 people.
A temple in ruins
When the Egyptians refused to export papyrus to them, the people of
Pergamum invented a new type of writing surface made from beaten
animal skins. This became known as vellum. They had a huge library until it
was burned by the Byzantines because the authors were pagans.
Egg and Dart detail on a column
One Roman city which is well known by most Christians is Ephesus. This is the city that St. Paul was writing to in his
Letter to the Ephesians. It was a prosperous Roman trading city.
The main street in Ephesus
The library at Ephesus
The library at Ephesus is one of the most beautiful buildings in the ancient world. It was also one of the largest
collections of scrolls. This library contained over 125,000 scrolls making
it a huge collection for its time. This city really showed off its wealth!
A very large public bathroom
A Roman arch
An early Christian symbol
This sculpture is on the Turkish money today.
A Roman backgammon board
Turkey has had waves of occupations throughout history. After the fall of the western Roman empire, the Byzantine empire ruled here until 1453. There are
many Byzantine churches across Turkey which show their style of
religious art.
Goreme Rock Churches.
In Cappodocia, in central Turkey, 3 volcanoes left a soft layer of tufa
covered by a harder layer of basalt. The tufa layer was easier to carve into and many Christian hermits came here
to live and carved rock churches.
Christ and some Apostles
Christ and the rest of the Apostles
A cross from the Iconoclastic period.
A typical dining room from this monastery.
St George slaying the dragon
Byzantine Emperor
Constantine
Emperor Constantine is very important in Byzantine history because he
accepted Christianity as the state religion. His mother returned from a
pilgrimage to Jerusalem with pieces of “the true cross”. Her interest in
Christianity influenced Constantine. In 312, he issued the Edict of Milan
granting equal rights to all religions.
The Empress Helena- mother of Constantine
Under the great Byzantine Emperor Justinian, the great Church of St.
Sophia was built in Constantinople. It was an architectural marvel with its
huge dome built between 532-537.The name ,Haia Sophia ,means holy
wisdom. After 1453, it was converted into a mosque by Mehmet II.
Haia Sophia
Entrance
Central dome under repair
The mimbar – used to be the pulpit.
Byzantine Empress
Eugenie – done in mosaic.
In 1453, the Ottoman Turks captured the city and renamed in Istanbul. The
churches were converted into mosques by adding the 4 minarets and covering
the Christian mosaics. These were redecorated with calligraphy or floral
designs. This preserved the mosaics ,some of which have been
restored in Haia Sophia.
The Blue Mosque
Where does the name Ottoman come from ?
REVIEW
The founder of the Ottoman rule was named Osman. His central Asian tribe came into the area of the Seljuk Turks and he asked for an area for his people and was given the region closest to the Byzantines. This allowed him to get to
know the Byzantine officials.
Osman I established the Ottoman dynasty,1280-1324.He exploited the weakness’ of the Byzantine empire
which led to conquest of all of Anatolia by his descendants.
In 1402 ,Timur , also known as Tamerlane, occupied Ottoman lands. His rule was short but brutal. With his death, the empire grew stronger until
the reign of Sultan Mehmet II. In 1453, using superior technology, his forces
broke through the huge walls of Constantinople and took the city.
What does the title Sultan mean?What power does this ruler have in his
empire ?How were Ottoman sultans selected ?
Look at the architecture of Topkapi palace. What does its entrance remind
you of ?
Topkapi Palace / Yeni Saray
One inner courtyard
Topkapi palace was completed in 1465 and showcases Ottoman architecture
and decoration. It covers 700,000 square meters and has 4 courtyards
inside as well as extensive gardens. It was a closed world exclusive to the
Sultan and his immediate family. There was a large staff as well as guards for
the whole complex.
A covered walk way
A room inside the Harem
The Sultan’s audience room in the harem
Notice the beautiful tile work on the walls
A fountain in the fourth courtyard
The Sultan’s pavilion
This fountain in the window
made it harder for people to
over hear conversations.
A door inlaid with mother of
pearl in the harem.
What kind of statement does Topkapi Palace make about the power of the
Ottoman Sultan?What shows the wealth they had ?
Who was the most important Ottoman Sultan ?
Why ?
During his reign, Sultan Suleyman I, expanded the territory under Ottoman control. Between 1520-1566, he got control over land in Asia, Africa, and Europe. He systematized law across the empire so that he became known
as the Lawgiver.
Several problems which will eventually cause the decline of the Ottomans also
emerge during Suleyman I’s reign. Inflation, rural overpopulation,
unemployment, and heavy taxation develop and lead to local revolts and
discontent.
Courtyard in the Harem
Iznik Tiles
Life inside the Imperial harem was very luxurious but also very confined. You
stayed within the harem and were guarded by specially trained Eunuchs. Anything you might need was brought into the harem. Merchants brought in
fabric and then produced the necessary clothing for the harem women.
Jewelers brought in their goods for the women to look over and order.
As a woman in the harem, you would be well educated and well fed. You had beautiful clothes and were expected to be able to converse and entertain the Sultan if he should express an interest in you. BUT you could never leave. If
you were even suspected of being unfaithful , you would be sewn into a sack and drowned in the Bosphorus.
Would you be willing to give up your family to live in such luxury for the rest
of your life?Many women in the harem never even
saw the Sultan.
An elaborate fountain with
Islamic inscription.
Gardens
The heir was kept inside this apartment
Every area was richly decorated.
If you were a woman under the Ottomans , the only power you could get came from becoming a concubine
in the palace. If you caught the Sultan’s eye and bore a son, you became a
kadin with your own apartment. Many young women stayed several years
and were eventually married to Ottoman officials with a generous
wedding gift.
Who were the Janissaries?What role/s did they take in Ottoman
rule?How did you become a Janissary ?
Janissaries were male child slaves taken mainly from Christian
communities. They were trained to become professional soldiers loyal only to the Sultan. They were converted to Islam and became a key power within this empire. They could not marry until they retired from active military service.
What was a millet ?
The symbol of Ottoman power.
After Suleyman, came a long line of Sultan’ s who only wanted to indulge
themselves. They did not really govern well and wasted lots of money on
themselves. By the time of WW1, the Ottoman Empire was known as the
“Sick old Man of Europe.”
A newer Ottoman palace
A gate to the palace.
As the Sultans became weaker, the power of the Janissaries grew.
Sometimes they even revolted against the Sultan and removed or
assassinated him.
Dolmabahce Palace
Ottoman excess led to the fall of this empire in 1923. After the humiliating
defeat in WW 1 and the Mandate system from the Treaty of Versailles, a group of Turk nationalists organized a
peasant resistance to the final Ottoman sultan. Led by Mustafa Kemal, these officers helped local peasants to arm themselves . When the call came in 1923, locals rose up to overthrow
the Ottoman sultan. This rebellion was successful even though there were many who died in it. Mustafa Kemal took the last name of Ataturk which means “ Father of the Turks “ and
became the first president of the new nation of Turkey. He established a secular republic which separated
Islamic influence from public schools.
Ataturk is a beloved leader even today in Turkey with many statues to him in
town squares all over the nation. He set Turkey on its present course by
adopting the Roman alphabet instead of Arabic . He forced western dress and
banned the veil. He gave women the right to vote and to an equal education.
Today Turkey is working to become a member of the European Union. It is improving its educational system and
upgrading its roads and economy. The 26 dams being built as part of the
G.A.P.project are designed to bring more jobs to SE Turkey. This nation is
an unique combination of Islamic society and western ideas.
Mt. Nemrud Dagi- a huge head
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