NEWS

Photos of all Ottoman works of art in the Balkans are taken via the field scanning in the framework of the project conducted by the artists from Konya.

Ibrahim Divarci, the photograph artist from Konya, said in his statement to AA reporter that they prepared a project to identify and record the current status of all extant Ottoman works of art in Rumelia such as mosques, public houses, public baths, bridges, clock towers etc..

Divarci, who reminded that they started the studies in the scope of the project named “Ottoman Traces in Rumelia”, prepared by them with the support of Ilhan Ergelen, the Rumelian business man, in 2007, said: ”Firstly, we found and took photos of all Ottoman works of art in Albania and Macedonia by travelling all villages and valleys. Then, we complied this study in a volume. The first volume includes photos and a brief history of 217 Ottoman works of art together with all civil architectural works of art”.

Divarci emphasized that they started studies in 2009 to take photos of the Ottoman works of art in Bosnia Herzegovina and Kosovo under the sponsorship of Nildem Global Insurance Company Founding Partner Cigdem Ergelen and said:

”In our study lasted approximately 1 year, we identified all Ottoman works of art in Bosnia Herzegovina and Kosovo one by one by participation of Prof. Dr. Hasim Karpuz, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ipcioglu and resident researchers and public in these regions. There was not the inventory of all Ottoman works of art in these regions nowadays. We have carried out a comprehensive study in these regions for the first time and identified almost all Ottoman works of art. Some of the works of art photographed by us include Mostar Bridge, Gazi Husrevbey Social Complex, Drina Bridge built by Sokullu Mehmet Pasa in Bosnia Herzegovina, Sultan Murat Mausoleum in the city of Pristina of Kosovo, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Mosque in the same city and Sinan Pasa Mosque in the city of Prizen.”

Divarci, who told that they photographed the works of art in Bosnia Herzegovina and Kosovo with Ahmet Kus and Feyzi Simsek, stated that they also compiled nearly total 500 Ottoman works of art in this region in the second volume.

-MOSQUES AND MAUSOLEUMS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SOURCES-

Divarci, who expressed that our history books include total 400 Ottoman works of art in Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia but they identified and photographed more than 700 works of art in these 4 countries, continued:

”We went and saw many works of art said to be destroyed due to the war and disappeared over the time. For instance, it is said in the books that only a bridge remained from Ottoman in the city of Livno of Bosnia Herzegovina but we also found a mosque near the bridge. We photographed 5 mosques and nearly 10 mausoleums in Sarajevo. Our books include very famous primary works of art like Mostar Bridge only. Most part of the works of art in the towns and villages were not mentioned in the sources. We learned them by talking with the local historians. When we returned to Turkey, we found that these works of art are Ottoman work of art by participation of our specialized teachers.”

Divarci attracted attention to the fact that there is no photograph of 50-60 percent of the Ottoman works of art recorded in the Balkans nowadays and they were recorded by their names only and he said they photographed all Ottoman works of art recorded or unrecorded in this region.

-ALL OTTOMAN WORKS OF ART IN RUMELIA SHALL BE COMPILED IN 4 VOLUMES-

Divarci stated that their target is to publish the entire Ottoman heritage in Rumelia in 4 volumes and said: ”In this framework, we shall identify locations and photograph the Ottoman works of art in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Greece, Islands, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia in the following years. Total nearly 800 Ottoman works of art are mentioned in these countries in the sources but we reached total 700 works of art in 4 countries that we already complied in 2 volumes. When the study is completed, we estimate to find nearly 2 thousand works of art in the Balkans stated to have 800 works of art in the sources”.

Divarci, who expressed that there is no serious inventory study for the Ottoman works of art in Rumelia nowadays, also added that this study shall be a very comprehensive inventory study which could not be performed to date.