International congress of byzantine studies belgrade, 22 27 august 2016

Maria Kontogiannopoulou
Drama, Greece; 
[e-mail]
Παρατηρήσεις σε μαρμάρινα μεσοβυζαντινά 
τέμπλα στη βόρεια Ελλάδα και στη Θεσσαλία
Στην ανακοίνωση παρουσιάζονται τα μορφολογικά χαρακτηριστικά των μαρμάρινων τέμπλων 
της μέσης βυζαντινής περιόδου στη βόρεια Ελλάδα και στη Θεσσαλία. Ακολούθως και με βάση, 
όχι μόνο τα χαρακτηριστικά αυτά αλλά και ορισμένες κατασκευαστικές λεπτομέρειες, καθώς και 
στοιχεία του διακόσμου, επιχειρείται η αναζήτηση της αρχικής μορφής των εν λόγω τέμπλων. 

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881
Zeki Boleken
Marmara University, Department of Art History, Istanbul, Turkey; 
[e-mail]
Byzantine Spolia in the Ottoman Capital in the Light of New Evidence
With the Ottoman Turks, from 1453 onwards, the city’s urban reconscruction with monumental 
buildings – as a new capital – demanded a huge mass of construction material, which included that 
from the previous Byzantine monuments. 
The use of spolia, which was quite common in most Islamic States such as that of the Anatolian 
Seljuks and the principalities (Beyliks) of Asia Minor, gained a different dimension with the 
Ottomans. This use presents different aspects in the earlier and in the so called ‘classical’ periods of 
Ottoman architecture, with changes in the concept of its use.
Just before 1453, we can see in Bursa a significant development in the production of Ottoman 
architectural sculpture: the appearance of the first typical capital during the reign of Beyazıd I (1389-
1403), is an important example of this development, which as probably a creation of the non-Muslim 
masons whom Beyazıd I had acquired after his conquest of western Anatolia.. The ‘visibility’ of the 
spolia materials used, such as capital, plinth, parapet and pillar, gradually disappears in Ottoman 
architecture as it begins to develop its individual style.
In the 16
th
century, spolia has been re-used and kept hidden. An intense use of re-cut of colored 
marbles shows a hierarchical placement in the planimetrical formation of the building. In fact, a 
color-based arrangement seems to have become one of the rules (e.g. use of corner columns). 
The relationship of the Ottoman Turks with the City after 1453 provides interesting aspects 
of social and cultural life. It is also surprising how some structures, representatives of Byzantine 
architecture and art in the city, have parallel significance for the Ottoman Turks. The similar 
descriptions of Paulos Silentiarios in the 6
th
century and Tursun Bey in the 15
th
on the marble 
lining in Hagia Sofia is an obvious example of this. Similarly for the use of plates of early Byzantine 
craftsmanship in Vefa during the restoration of Kilise Mosque during the Ottoman period.
The marble imitations in the mihrab of Sokullu Mehmed Paşa Mosque, and in the tile panels 
of the Mausoleun of Hürrem Sultan resemble the marble-cover slabs of Hagia Sofia or the Chora 
church. An interesting example of marble descriptions on tiles is the mihrab description which 
appeared in the tile panel in the Dervish Pasha Mosque dated to 1574.
We have recently been working on the reuse of Byzantine material in Ottoman buildings of 
Istanbul. Much unknown and interesting material has come to light; capitals, columns shafts and 
column bases have all been used. Slabs and even decorated soffits have been used in the furnishings 
of mosques.
We will present here for the first time some of this material, collected in this corpus, and some 
Middle-Byzantine period cases - very important given their relative scarcity.

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