Topkapı Sarayı`nın temsil(ler)i

This thesis is based on a critical analysis of the problem of representation based onPlatonic Idealism. Historically, this problem has been closely tied to the problematicopposition between notions of original and copy. In this study the assumptionsbehind this binary opposition and the existence of a reality that is accessible otherthan by its own representations are deconstructed. The notion of simulacrum isintroduced to counter the original/copy argument in relation to the contemporaryculture of consumerism. Within this theoretical framework the Topkapi Palace Hotelin Antalya is taken as a case study. Representations of Topkapi Palace precedingthe hotel are analyzed including Ottoman miniatures, Orientalist paintings/gravuresand the Topkapi Palace Museum. The basic premise of the thesis is that the notionof simulation destabilizes the model/copy binary which has significant repercussionsin contemporary architectural discourse and practice.Keywords: Topkapı Palace, Representation, Simulacrum, Simulacra, ThemedEnvironment, Themed Hoteliii