When the term Ottoman architecture is used, the immediate image that comes
to mind is that of the multitudes of mosque and religious buildings in Turkey
and the Ottoman Empire. One with a more in-depth knowledge of this field
may think of the prolific architect Sinan (d. 1588) and his hundreds of purpose-
built works. However, this is not another book on Ottoman mosques
and pious foundations, but rather a focused collection of the empire’s oftenoverlooked
civic works, some of which demonstrate engineering innovations
in design. The empire’s geographical proximity to Europe gradually caused
it to look westward for aspiration and engendered a palpable reflection of
European influence in those of its architectural and infrastructure designs
that were the result of commissioning European experts to keep Istanbul and
the empire abreast of the latest innovations.
American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences