19th century Ottoman costume albums and Antoine-Laurent Castellan's engravings

This thesis examines Ottoman costume albums, particularly in the context of the 19th century, and aims to investigate the production processes, content structures, artistic qualities, and historical contexts of visual materials. The focus of the study is on the figures depicted in the 27 plates in the sixth volume of Antoine-Laurent Castellan's (1772-1838) 1812 work, 'Moeurs, usages et costumes des Othomans.' Through these figures, the social structure and clothing culture of 19th-century Ottoman society are analysed. Castellan's figures reflect an Orientalist perspective for European readers while also providing important information about the clothing customs of the period. In this context, the thesis evaluates the figures not merely as visual support that adds colour to the travelogue, but also as deeply significant documents related to the cultural representations and ideological reflections of the period.