Ottoman architecture in the 19th–20th centuries

Subsequently, a trend towards eclecticism became prominent in many types of buildings, particularly during the Tanzimat period (1839 and after), as exemplified by the Dolmabaçe Palace and many mosques of this era designed by architects of the Balyan family.

[2][1] In the late 19th century, an Orientalist fashion mixed neo-Ottoman and other traditional Islamic architectural elements into new buildings, seen in many of the designs by Alexandre Vallaury.

[20] This took place in conjunction with Selim III's reform attempts, the Nizam-i Cedid ("New Order"), which among other things created a new Western-style army.

[25][23] The complex included the usual mosque dependencies, but more innovative was the construction of factories, shops, and modern facilities such as a printing house, all arranged to form the nucleus of a new neighbourhood with a regular grid of streets.

[33][35] It is sometimes described as belonging to the Empire style, but is considered by art historians Godfrey Goodwin and Doğan Kuban as one of the last Ottoman Baroque mosques.

[31] The purest example of the Empire style in Istanbul is the Tomb of Mahmud II (1840), an imposing octagonal monument designed by Ohannes and Bogos Dadyan.

This section leads to an octagonal mosque lit by large windows, with a mihrab and minbar fashioned of dark grey marble.

The monumental gates that lead to the palace grounds are especially ornate and distinguished by highly sculptural and eclectic decoration in stone, marble, and plaster.

[67] The Mecidiye Kiosk in the Fourth Court of Topkapı Palace is another small single-story structure in a similar style, designed by Sarkis Balyan and built in 1840.

The most imposing structure in the center of the palace is the Büyük Mabeyn Köşk erected by Abdülaziz and designed by Agop and Sarkis Balyan.

It has a traditional divanhane layout typical of earlier Ottoman pavilions and a Neoclassical design with Orientalist decoration similar to the contemporary Çırağan Palace.

[62] The mosque has a Baroque appearance in its use of strong curves but it features an eclectic mix of styles, except for the imperial pavilion in front which is entirely Neoclassical.

[85][44] The mosque is covered in highly ornate and sculptural details that recall the style of the Ceremonial Hall and gates of the Dolmabahçe Palace.

[89][90] The Tanzimat reforms also granted Christians and Jews the right to freely build new centers of worship, which resulted in the significant construction, renovation, and expansion of churches and synagogues.

[92] One of the oldest, the Ahrida Synagogue in Balat, was rebuilt in its current form in 1709 and reflects the architecture of the Tulip Period, though it was restored and refurbished again in the 19th century.

[50][109] In 1901 Sultan Abdülhamid II (r. 1876–1909) encouraged the construction of clock towers across the empire for the celebration of the 25th anniversary of his accession to the throne.

Some arcades consisted of a small courtyard filled with shops and surrounded by buildings, as with the example of the Hazzopulo Pasajı, begun in 1850 and completed in 1871.

[113] One of the best-known examples is the Çiçek Pasajı ("Flower Passage") built in 1876 as part of a building called the Cité de Pera, which contained shops on the ground floor and luxury apartments above.

[119] These new buildings were also concentrated in the Beyoğlu district and many were again designed in a Neoclassical style, though eclecticism remained apparent in the details or interior decoration.

[122]A local interpretation of Orientalist fashion steadily arose in the late 19th century, initially used by European architects such as Vallaury.

[127] The Camondo Stairs in Galata, donated to the city by a local Jewish family in 1860, are an early Art Nouveau example.

Reflecting the continued eclecticism of the 19th century, they were also mixed with other styles such as neo-Baroque, neo-Ottoman, and Empire, such that Art Nouveau buildings were not always distinguishable from other genres.

[127] For example, the Hamidiye Fountain (1896–1901), originally erected in Tophane but later moved to Maçka Park, is a more eclectic work designed by D'Aronco.

[131] New government-run institutions that trained architects and engineers, established in the late 19th century and further centralized under the Young Turks, became instrumental in disseminating this "national style".

[132] The earlier Uṣūl-i Mi'marī-i Osmānī was influential in this movement and was used as a textbook at the Academy of Fine Arts in Istanbul (founded in 1883), but new Turkish architects also rejected some of the eclectic and revivalist impulses encouraged by that work.

They choose instead to draw their ideas directly from observations of old Ottoman and Seljuk monuments, so as to elaborate what they viewed as a more purely "Turkish" style.

[132] The new style focused outwardly on forms and motifs seen to be traditionally "Ottoman" such as pointed arches, ornate tile decoration, wide roof overhangs with supporting brackets, domes over towers or corners, etc.

[88] One of the earliest and most important examples is the Istanbul Grand Post Office in Sirkeci, completed in 1909 and designed by Vedat Tek.

It was drafted by Marie de Launay and Pietro Montani, under the supervision of Ibrahim Edhem Pasha, the Minister of Trade and Public Works at the time.

[139] It was also the first work to hail Sinan as a figure of prime importance in Ottoman architectural history who was worthy of universal recognition.