Iberian Source of Orientalism in the 19th Century Ottoman Architecture and Analysis of Sirkeci Train Station

The 19th century differs with its dynamic and heterogenic structure from the other periods. In this century while the world was experiencing highly technologically and socially important process at the same time architecture, as a concrete demonstration of culture, witnessed to several eclectic and modernist styles. These stylistic approaches, at the early beginning of the 19th century romantic later on turned out to be a modernist, were part of experimentation process in architecture plus they were stimulating forces for modernism. Likewise European countries the Ottomans were trying to be modern and spent lots of effort to catch level of European technological and military aspects. This struggle had affect on architecture. The 19th century’s colorful condition created dynamic consequences over the Ottoman Empire’s architecture even that several reformations made in political, military and social arenas that introduced different dimension to the Ottoman Art and Architecture. This study examines orientailst approach of the 19th century through the case study of Sirkeci Train Station and tries to see connection of these forms with the Islamic Andalusian culture that formed in the Iberian Peninsula rather than North African Maghrep which is a general totalistic approach in the field. Within the study Sirkeci Train Station’s architectural style which was built by August Jachmund in the period of Abdülhamid II, is examined and theoretical connection of this building with the Mudejar style and its similarities were investigated.

Keywords

19th century Ottoman Architecture, Andalusian Islamic Art, Sirkeci Train Station, Orientalism, Mudej