Constantinopolis/Istanbul: Cultural Encounter, Imperial Vision and the Construction of the Ottoman Capital (review)

There is much to recommend in Ciğdem Kafescioğlu's carefully researched and elegant book, not the least of which is a thorough analysis of the transformation of Byzantine Constantinople into Ottoman Istanbul. Beginning with the capture of the city in 1453, the book covers the three decades of urban renewal that correspond to the reign of the victorious Sultan Mehmed II, and the establishment of a new cultural, political, and religious capital for the Ottoman Empire. Kafescioğlu masterfully accounts for the urban reconstructions and interventions that allowed for the new Istanbul to be cemented in the public consciousness and imagination, or as Kafescioğlu aptly states, 'the creation of a capital city through the interpretation and appropriation of another' (p. 1).

As Kafescioğlu points out, the late fifteenth century coincided with an outpouring of Ottoman historical writing. Yet the scope here is not restricted to text, and visual analyses inform much of the discussion, especially in the third (and best) chapter, which focuses on Early Modern visual representations of Istanbul in both Western and Ottoman traditions. Indeed, throughout his lively and engaging analysis of the urban environment, Kafescioğlu calls upon an impressive range of evidence, including architecture, cartography, epics, hagiographies, poetry, travellers' accounts, and town records. This diversity strengthens the proceedings considerably.

Given the myriad materials that Kafescioğlu is dealing with, his careful attention to organization is also to be commended. The first chapter focuses on the six years immediately following the 1453 conquest, and the initial interventions into the existing cityscape. The conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque was of course vested with great political and religious symbolism, and is carefully characterized. Other early interventions were far from being as radical, and were focused instead on matters of practical concern. It should not be forgotten that chroniclers described Constantinople as destitute at the time of its fall, and the rehabilitation of city walls, port, and markets are discussed at length as essential and practical components for the success of the city in its new role as Ottoman capital.

Political, religious, and social ideals are reflected in the 'monumentalization' of Istanbul, the subject of Chapter 2. With the centralization of Ottoman wealth and power, and the development of an imperialist vision came Mehmed's 1459 campaign to rebuild the capital. Some of the most detailed and original research emerges here, with thorough discussions of the Topkapi Palace and Mehmed's New Mosque as new symbols of the Ottoman Empire. Also highlighted by material evidence are interactions between Byzantine and Ottoman urban planning traditions, and the use of Italian Renaissance architectural forms and theories. The fourth chapter focuses on residential neighborhoods and settlement, to complete the picture of the urban fabric of the new capital.

Overall, this book is a satisfying account of the early modern monumentalization, representation, and inhabitation of one of the most intriguing and complex of all cities. As a characterization of the many identities of Constantinople/Istanbul, this book will be of great interest to historians of art, architecture, and urban planning.