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17th
International Architecture Exhibition
La Biennale di Venezia
Pavilion of Turkey
22/05—21/11/2021
SALE D'ARMI, ARSENALE
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PAPERWORK19
STONE
STORIES
Curatorial Team
Published on
06/04/2021
Keywords
STONE, RESOURCE GEOGRAPHIES, SÜLEYMANİYE COMPLEX
İlknur Aktuğ Kolay and Serpil Çelik, "Ottoman Stone Acquisition in the Mid-Sixteenth Century," Muqarnas (2006). Illustration: Serpil Çelik.
Published on
06/04/2021
Keywords
STONE, RESOURCE GEOGRAPHIES, SÜLEYMANİYE COMPLEX
STONE
STORIES
Curatorial Team

This map shows the types and sources of stones used in the construction of the Süleymaniye Complex, which was built in the mid-16th century. There were not many full-scale urban planning operations in Istanbul during the decay of the Byzantine Empire—especially from the 13th century onwards—and the city had to wait for another two centuries for a noteworthy recovery, until the Ottoman Empire initiated efforts on the city’s re-planning. This movement of urban planning, which peaked in the 16th century, used the resources of the city and its surroundings by any means necessary. The scope of the organization can be deduced even from a single item of work on the construction records of the Süleymaniye Complex. The stones that were brought from 42 separate centers for the construction of the complex—spolia or quarry products—are enough to illustrate how vast the geographic extent of even a single building is.