Scene From Above The New Palace Of Beshik-Tash

Description

This engraving depicts the old Beşiktaş (Çırağan) Palace and its surroundings, which was built by Mahmud II on the shores of the Bosphorus between Beşiktaş and Ortaköy in 1834 and demolished in 1857 to replace today's Çırağan Palace. The area where the palace stands was known as Kazancıoğlu Gardens in the 17th century, and by the 18th century, it had become a center of entertainment and culture with its coastal palaces and gardens reflecting the splendor of the Tulip Era. The area was known as Çırağan, meaning "lights" in Persian, because of the torchlight festivals held in the waterfront mansion and gardens built in this area, which were gifted to Ahmed III's Grand Vizier, Nevşehirli Damat İbrahim Pasha. The structure depicted in the engraving is the first major Çırağan Palace, built by Sultan Mahmud II on the site of the waterfront mansion and Beşiktaş Mevlevi Lodge, which he had demolished in 1834. However, it was not built until the reign of Sultan Mahmud II. Mahmud did not live long enough to see the completion of this structure, and the palace was completed by his son, Sultan Abdulmecid, in 1839. Although predominantly constructed of wood, the palace boasted a magnificent architecture supported by forty stone columns, evoking ancient style on its façade overlooking the Bosphorus. Western observers described the palace as heavy and cumbersome, despite attempts to build it in a European style. However, its panoramic location overlooking the Sea of ​​Marmara, the Golden Horn, and the Bosphorus reflected the grandeur of the empire. On the land side, the tents of Bulgarian workers who worked on the palace's construction, the surrounding cypress and plane trees, combined with the Istanbul skyline in the background, reflect both its architectural and social atmosphere. Ottoman warships anchored offshore and sailboats sailing on the Bosphorus reveal that the palace was not merely a dynastic residence, but a visual representation of modernizing naval power and a symbol of the Ottoman Empire's military and political might. The colors and light-and-shadow effects used in the engraving's composition make Çırağan stand out as an "exotic" and magnificent structure in the eyes of the Western world, creating a visual symphony where the unique nature of the Bosphorus and the Ottoman palace architecture merge.