Aksaray Pertevniyal Valide Sultan Camii ve Külliyesi:Bir on dokuzuncu yüzyıl valide sultanının mimari hamiliğine dair yansımalar

Pertevniyal (1810-1884), the last queen-mother bearing the title of valide sultan in the empire's history, was a prominent figure in the nineteenth century Ottoman society and a significant patron of architecture. This thesis analyzes Pertevniyal Valide Sultan's architectural patronage and the symbolically-charged meanings embedded in her patronage by focusing on the Aksaray Valide Sultan Mosque Complex, the most significant commission undertaken by the valide, which was completed in 1871 and was located in the Aksaray district of Istanbul. This study investigates for the first time the valide's life and patronage in detail and is based on many unpublished archival documents related to Pertevniyal. For the analysis of the mosque, this thesis first looks at the historiography of scholarship about the complex since the building, particularly its architectural style, was received and interpreted in dramatically different ways by scholars assessing the structure since it was built. By examining the complex's archival records and other contemporary primary sources, the purpose of this thesis is to locate the building within its historical context and determine how it was shaped by the socio-political and cultural dynamics of the late Tanzimat era. It also investigates how this architectural project served as an embodiment of its patron's motivations and intentions. Given the few studies which focus on the symbolic analysis of the nineteenth century Ottoman architectural enterprise and its relationship with gendered imperial patronage, this thesis contributes to current literature on Ottoman architectural history by exploring how a nineteenth century valide sultan exploited a diverse set of iconographies in the realization of her complex and cultivated specific imperial and dynastic identities through architectural patronage during the late Tanzimat era.