Art Branches

At Istanbul Sanatları Çarşısı, important actions are being taken to keep alive our national art and culture, with art branches such as calligraphy, illuminated manuscript, water marbling, miniature, tile, kat'ı (paper cutting), fabric dyeing, kitre doll, porcelain dyeing and Turkish embroidery are being performed by master craftsmen.

Turkish – Islamic arts constitute a very rich mosaic that resulted from synthesis of cultural heritage of different civilizations and its intrinsic values throughout its history of thousands of years. Some of these arts were re-shaped and emerged during pre-Islam era and with the effect of Islam. The fact that they are deep rooted makes them important from a socio-cultural perspective. It is possible to see societies' sensitivity to arts in these arts in the most precise and clear fashion.

These art branches are fields to which Turks always attached importance and involved themselves in. Therefore, these arts continued to be performed during the Ottoman era, too. Additionally, works of art produced by combining Istanbul culture with Islamic civilization paved the way for emergence of an understanding of arts peculiar to the Ottoman Empire.

The understanding "art is for Allah" that took its starting point from hadith that reads as “Allah is absolutely beautiful and likes what is beautiful.” affected works of art produced, and, as a result, art branches that brought matter and meaning and embodied them emerged. The biggest inspiration for these art branches is the city of Istanbul which is priceless, even one stone of which cannot be traded for Persian property. “Symbolist” narrative which we encountered in different civilizations and arts for several centuries was frequently emphasized in the Ottoman civilization, too, and symbols “rose” and “tulip” were often applied.

However, it is understood that, due to some societal and historical incidents that occurred, performance of certain arts branches discontinued in the late periods of the Ottoman Empire and early years of Republican era. Despite of efforts exerted by various institutions to keep such arts alive, it is known that certain art branches disappeared.

Istanbul Sanatları Çarşısı is one of the important places where art branches that survived to the present day. Istanbul Sanatları Çarşısı with its cadre which became diverse and dynamic thanks to new craftsmen added to existing ones is not content with making these handicrafts survive. Also, it brings together art lovers with activities to be organized in the field of exhibition, production, training, workshops, etc.

Now, let's take a closer look at such art branches performed in Istanbul which is center of arts and culture and craftsmen who masterfully perform them.