Art Portfolio: Welcome Post

Welcome to my blog! My name is Nihal and I am an Interior Design student in DMUIC and I will use this blog for Art Portfolio lessons in second and third term. In this term I want to learn how to use the room space in proper way and fit everything in right place. 

I started watching a series called Magnificent Century in holiday and it describes and shows the Ottoman History. The environment and the theme and the dresses they wore were very interesting and different from nowadays. 

Mimar Sinan: Ottoman Architect

After I started the watch the series again I'm impressed with the beauty of the Ottoman Architectures because of that I will research and describe the Ottoman Architecture in this blog. Mimar Sinan is the most important and famous architect of the Ottoman History. He is still famous in Türkiye and all over the world because his masterpieces are still visited thousands of tourists and local people. He designed many different structures such as mosques , palaces, tombs ,bridges but most popular and beautiful structures are mosques. 

Suleymaniye Mosque 

Suleymaniye Mosque built for the Suleiman the Magnificent who is expand the Ottoman most. Suleymaniye Mosque represents the peak of the Ottoman Empire. Rising on one of the most prominent hills of the Historical Peninsula, the courtyard of the mosque has magnificent views of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. (Engul, 2024) . Suleymaniye Mosque is not only a praying hall it is also includes schools, bath houses , hospital , shops and public kitchen which is served food to the poor people and not only for Muslim people also Christian and Jewish people also. 

Interior of the mosque has a wide, large and spacious environment. The central dome stands 47m high. The mosque contain many Ottoman Style Interior such as variation of colors and patterns, big lightnings and shadows , glass and windows ,and  calligraphy. On the walls there are some hand-painted ceramics decorated with flower motifs and geometric patterns. The colorfulness of the marbles an ceramics draws attention. Its lavish decoration features intricate designs of mother-of-pearl, ivory, and marble, accompanied by delicate carvings. (Marmara Hotels, 2025)  In Ottoman History they used mostly blue, green and gold colors in buildings. The colors have a special meaning in Islamic tradition. Blue is a symbol of spirituality and the heavens and is often associated wit contemplation and reflection. It is also associated with protection from the evil eye and a reminder of the eternal sky, this specific use of blue is correlated with the Ottoman architectural style of the 17th century. ( ArchDaily, 2023) 

Green is a sacred color in Islam and it represent the nature, life and renewal often associated with the lush landscapes described in the Quran and the idea of paradise. And green is the most common color used in mosques also in tombs. Gold is symbolize nobility, royalty , status , wealth and divine perfection. When used in decorative embellishments, it is meant to elevate a space and provide it with grandeur. (ArchDaily, 2023) 

                                                     interior of the Suleymaniye Mosque

They used big and widen lighting with many lamps in such a wide and huge buildings. The large and numerous on the walls and the ceiling contribute to the bright and spacious appearance of the interior. Stained glass on the windows with different patterns and colors gives a beautiful and impressive appearance especially when sunlight comes and reflects the glass. Also on the walls there are a lot of religious writings with calligraphy art. Calligraphy art is an art of beautiful writing and it is focusing of presentation of letters and words. Other material that used in Ottoman Architecture is nature materials.  The richness and allure of Ottoman interior design were greatly enhanced by the use of natural materials, which produced a cozy and welcoming ambiance that complemented architectural details with ease. Expensive types of leather, glass, metal, stone, and wood highlight the room's opulence. Even the walls are embellished with carved wooden panels or textiles. ( Mimari Expert, 2024) 

As an interior designer student Ottoman Style Architecture has some similar things with maximalist style and I like minimalist style rather than the maximalist style. But still I quite liked this style with different colors used and stained glass and wide and large interiors. Big and wide lightnings are really impressive and it can be adaptable in new designs . For example instead of using lots of lighting in a large building such as a museum, office or restaurant, a very large and wide lighting can be installed. This makes the center of the building more prominent.

REFERENCES

Engul, S. (2024) Works of Mimar Sinan (Ottoman Architect) in Istanbul. Istanbulclues.com Available at: https://istanbulclues.com/greatest-ottoman-architect-mimar-sinan/ (Accessed : 02 April 2025)

Marmara Hotels (2025) Explore Istanbul: Suleymaniye Mosque themarmarahotels.com Available at : https://www.themarmarahotels.com/pera/suleymaniye-mosque (Accessed : 03 April 2025) 

Fakharany, N. (2023) The Symbolic Use of Color in Islamic Architecture. archdaily.com Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/1004972/the-symbolic-use-of-color-in-islamic-architecture Accessed: 08 April 2025) 

Mimari Expert (2024) Embrace the Elegance of Ottoman Style in Interior Design mimariexpert.com Available at: https://www.mimariexpert.com/blog/ottoman-style-interior-design (Accessed: 08 April 2025) 

RECREATING  AN ARTWORK 

In first lesson of the Art Portfolio we did an Icebreaker Exercise : Recreating an Artwork. First we were divided in 3 groups and then we chose a photo that we want to recreate. This is the photo that we chose.

After choose the photo we decided who is gonna be who. Then we went to look some clothes and fabrics that we can use. We tried to find fabric in similar colors  to the one in picture. 

We spread a white  cloth on the table and carried the table in front of the wall. And put three chairs around the table. We find some decorative objects to put on the table . And placed them like in the picture. 

We covered the background with black papers. We tried to cover as much as we could. 

And then we started to wear clothes and fabrics like in the picture. We used white and white cottons to make a beard and mustache. As we are only three person in group we used the skull for forth person. Isabella hold the skull as like he is standing and then covered her arm with  black cloth.  

We closed the lights and the curtains in the studio. And Billie brought us some lightning to make shadows in background. Then we sit at chairs and give poses just like in the picture. This is our recreating an artwork outcome.