Turkey
Home > Exhibition Trails > Turkey > Early Ottoman Art > Itinerary IIEARLY OTTOMAN ART
Legacy of the Emirates
Region: Western Anatolia and Trace
ITINERARY II: Protectors of the Arts and Artists
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Description |
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Mehmed Bey, son of Aydın, founded an Emirate at the beginning of the 14th century (1308) conquering Ayasuluğ (Selçuk-Ephesus), Tire, and Birgi in West Anatolia and later annexing the city of İzmir in 1317. The Aydın Beys wasted no time in opening up to the seas; they launched campaigns to Evvoia Island, Peloponnesos Peninsula, Gelibolu, and Thrace, in particular, with their naval forces stationed in Ayasuluğ and İzmir. A large part of the income from booty brought by these war-filled years, products provided by the bountiful land, and the tariffs, which increased thanks to the treaties with Venice, were spent on the construction of monumental works or religious and social functions. Mehmed Bey's (r. 1308-1334) Great Mosque in Birgi and İsa Bey's (r. 1360-1390) mosque and hammam in Selçuk are beautiful examples that are still with us today. Because Tire continued to be a lively commercial centre for many long centuries, a great number of hans were constructed in addition to mosques, madrasas, and hammams. |