Selimiye fabrics and examples of City Museum, Yildiz Palace

Otoman empire experienced dramatic economic, sociologic and cultural downfalls as the result of warfare defeats in the 18 th century, which were all reflected both in every aspect of Ottoman arts globally famous for magnificence and glory and in fabric weaving art, one of the most efficient all over the the Empire. Materials of silk, gold, silver and other precious gemstones were gradually occasionally or almost never seen in weavings . With the Industrial Revolution emerging in the 18 th century Europe, hand-woven fabrics were replaced by those woven by mass production to finally capture Ottoman weaving market with the result that materials of foreign origin were taking the place of traditional Ottoman fabrics on a step by step basis Aware of the fact that Ottoman fabric weaving art were weakened both in technique and designing and European-origin fabrics gradually adopted by people, Sultan Mustafa the 3rd had weaving workshops built and Bükücüler Han where woven ıtems could be marketed around the construction of Ayazma Mosque in Skutery so as to revive traditional fabric weaving art and related processes in 1758. There appeared new brand and new title fabric types so that the increasing recession in weaving in the Empire should be prevented, one of which was ?Selimiye? named after Sultan Selim IIIrd just because it was an anomous fabric then whose warp and weft were silken and which was woven in lengthwise and in tiny florals. One began to weave the fabric hereby called ?Selimiye? in and around Skutery in the second half of 18th century until the establisment of Hereke weaving factory in the 19th century. The thesis studied historical course fabric, its tecnhical and designing properties, fields of uses and periodical differences of ?Selimiye? fabric and analysed 7 Selimiye fabric items exhibited in City Museum, Yıldız Palace upon the permission of analysis from Directorate of Libraries and Museums, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in terms of technique and designing. In addition, I was specially allowed by Topkapı Palace Directorate to study Volumes I and II of archive catalogue in Topkapı Palace Library.