Aesthetic education in the late Ottoman and early republican era (1883-1933)

In the Ottoman Empire, art, literature and thought movements were closely followed with the Westernization, and it is observed that especially the literature subjects have created a preparatory environment for the theoretical discussions about aesthetics. This thesis focuses on the period between 1883 and 1933, when Darülfünun (Ottoman University) and Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi (School of Fine Arts), from the modern higher education institutions of Late Ottoman Era, operated from the establishment to the reformation period. By examining the aesthetic lessons in these schools' curriculums and the aesthetic studies carried out by the lecturers, it aims to determine the place of aesthetics in the course schedules and to give an impression of the possible contents of the lessons.