Fire scenes in the Ottoman visual culture (17th-19th centuries)

This thesis titled "Fire Scenes in the Ottoman Visual Culture (17th-19th century)" discusses the reflection of the fires, which frequently broke out in Istanbul, the capital city of the Ottoman Empire, and caused great disasters, on visual arts. There is no research elaborating on the fire scenes apart from a limited number of visuals displayed through various studies discussing the Istanbul fires. This study investigates how and for what purpose the fires affecting not only the architectural texture but also the society in the socio-economic terms in Istanbul between the 17th and 19th centuries were depicted in the visual culture. The number of visuals of fires, which were one of the most important reasons for the various city plannings aiming to give the city a modern view particularly in the 19th century and the municipal services commenced in this period, increased in the same period. The visual materials of the thesis are composed of miniature paintings by the artists described as bazaar painters by Metin And, gravures created by the European painters and published in various newspapers, murals and paintings. The records kept by the chroniclers and foreign travelers witnessing the fires and news articles published in the newspapers during the historical process also provided a contribution to us conducting comprehensive research and diversifying our resources. Accordingly, the reasons for the creation of all the visuals obtained regarding the fires, which had an essential role in the change of cultural identity of the city, were tried to be explained by supporting them with primary and secondary written resources. The symbolic and artistic values of the fire scenes depicted in the period in question were also analyzed in the thesis besides their documental attributes.