Tessa and Anthony Brennand Travel Award Report 2018 Jasmina Barbato, BA (Hons.) History of Art (Asia, Africa, Europe) SOAS, University of London

This summer, I had the privilege to conduct research on visual aesthetics and patterns in architectural interiors on four significant sites in : Ferhat- Pasha Mosque and Emperor’s Mosque in , Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque and Karadoz Bey Mosque in . The overall objectivity of the field work was to explore the Ottoman aesthetic creation of an Islamic identity in the Bosniak population during the five hundred- year rule under the . The history and identity of the Bosniak population which inhabits mainly national territory are intertwined with Turkey through the Turkish Ottoman past and which led to clashes with other ethnic groups in the transition of post- Yugoslavia. The fact, that these mosques have been constructed at the height of the empire under supervision of Mimar Sinan or his apprentices as one of the greatest prevailing achievements of Ottoman in Europe, makes it particularly interesting to look at. The grant provided me with the opportunity to collect a large body of important on-site data on decorative art elements and classify them on the basis of time scale and regionalism of which the Bosniak population identifies their cultural heritage with. This body of data will serve as a first- hand material foundation for my ISP enabling dialectic answers to a wide range of philosophical and architectural questions. The driving questions which will be also pursuit in larger scale during my ISP aim to explore what centuries old decorative details reveal about who we are and how do people associate themselves via aesthetic identity to their own national history. What does remain in memory in face of destruction (in this case the on goings of ethnic cleansing during the 1992- 1995) and how do we recall this specific identity afterwards?

My conducted site visits have been accompanied by a faculty member of the Gazi Husrev- begova medresa, imams administering the mosques and historians. I gained among others valuable insights into conservation, restoration and reconstruction to preserve an authentic view of the aesthetic in damaged areas after the war. In all visited mosques, the main body around which all decorations evolve downwards is a Quranic ayet located at the centre of the and in three mosques referring to Allah as the divine creator (Image 1-3). The upper part of all four mosques is structured in eight arches beneath the pendentive into which on each of the four corners a semi- dome carries the main dome (similar to the Rüstem Pasha Mosque in Istanbul). Smaller medallions decorating the pendentives stress the names Allah, Muhammed, Abu Bakr, Omer, Othman, Ali, Hasan, Husein into the architectural frame. The main structure of the mosques appear to convey Allah as the “Dome of ” surrounded and supported by his prophets and caliphs. Especially the Ferhat- Pasha Mosque carries the potential of no matter where one might stand inside, the symmetric decorations tend to lead the eye always radiating towards the centre of the dome (Image 1). Painted decorations inside the Ferhat- Pasha Mosque disclose five layers from the 16th century, 18th century (1761- 62), late 19th century and first quarter of the 20th century. The first layer has been concluded as the most valuable and is found inside the dome, mihrab, pendentive, corner semi- (calottes) and frieze around the windows. Decorative patterns from this zone were brought into Bosnian territory from Asia Minor during the 16th century and are classified as Rumi ornaments. Eight chains or lines each of three rosette patterns are connected by the central ayet (surat al-ihlas) inside the dome (Image 1). Three of four semi- domes included on each corner unique decorations from the first layer. These semi- domes contain a rib- like frame and in-between each rib reveal cypress trees and floral decorations, the lowest part contains exchanging patterns of tree trunks and flower vases (Image 4). Especially on the mihrab are vegetal and floral patterns enlacing into each other with vegetal branches imprinted into the stone with a sharp instrument (Image 5). These arabesque patterns reveal colours such as warm yellow, cinnabar red, cobalt blue and black. The most interesting decorative detail inside this specific mosque is located beneath the muqarnas inside the mihrab niche- the ayet (3:37)1 in interdependency with five cypress trees (Image 5). (Unfortunately it is not possible to engage in greater length about it and its interdependency to identity in this report). The upper three window rows are decorated with a specific frieze. These frieze rings reveal floral patterns (lily flower) which interlace into each other in a geometric way (Image 6). The same frieze rings are found in the smaller green medallions inside the pendentive containing the names of the prophets and caliphs. The

1 “Whenever Zachariah went in to see her in her sanctuary” (3:37)

1 second layer dating to 1761-62 is purely floral with some naturalistic tendencies and local style on calottes and centre of the mihrab.

Karadoz Bey Mosque has been commissioned by Mehmed Bey Karagöz (brother of Ottoman vizier Rüstem Pasha) and was constructed by Mimar Sinan. Similar to the Ferhat- Pasha Mosque in Sarajevo, this specific mosque inherits a world of different decorative layers from different periods of which the first two layers are regarded as the most valuable (floral and geometric patterns, arabesque and calligraphy). Four layers in total have been found (each 100-150 years renewed) from 1577, 18th century, first half of the 19th century and from 1909 (Austro- Hungarian reign). In 2005, Turkish art historians rediscovered the first layer and undertook restorative work. On the mimbar are historic Arabic inscriptions preserved (Image 7), Rumi ornaments, a small fragment above a Rumi ornament (Image 8) and arabesque patterns (Image 9). The same decorative scheme is present in the interior above the entrance (Image 10). A small Rumi fragment next to the centre of the dome is still present (Image 3). The top crown of the mihrab discloses Ottoman arabesque whereas the mihrab niche is framed by a decorative banner containing final geometric forms of regular hexagons with interlaced sections of circles carved into stone (Image 11). Latter scheme bears close similarity to decorations on the exterior entrance (Image 12). Above the mihrab are two Ottoman tughras present (Image 11). The lower row of windows contain a frieze on top highlighting self- similarity arabesque design with leaf forms composed of interconnected smaller leaves and vines (Image 13).

Unlike the other three mosques, the main dome of the Koski Mehmet Pasha Mosque is adorned in its centre by a pure geometric core connecting eight chains of rosette patterns towards an outer frieze ring of arabesque. Right above the pendentive, in-between stained glass sections are floral and vegetal motives present (tulips, rose hips, lemon, olives, pear, dates, cherry, grapes, oranges and weeping willow) some in composition with vases (Image 14). The mihrab contains a stalactic muqarnas, two overlapping decorative bands which show richness of classical composition from the 17th century and a crown of arabesque (Image 15). On top of the mimbar’s door is an Ottoman tughra present around which thin rose branches evolve in 18th century Baroque style (Image 15). On both sides of the mimbar as the top friezes of the lowest row of windows are arabesque decorations in which vines continue to loop while leaves and flowers fill the remaining space against a yellow background (Image 16). Furthermore, the mimbar contains stamped geometric decoration such as four pointed quadrants in repetition and a tessellation of regular hexagons and six pointed stars where mid points join to form a double triangle (Seal of Solomon?). Around the interior entrance door are Baroque decorations depicting vegetal ranks entailing into each other (Image 17).

The Emperor’s Mosque has been dedicated to Süleyman the Magnificent after his ordered reconstruction of the mosque during the 16th century. The mosque remained completely undamaged during the war and decorations were conserved and restored. Decorations (Rumi ornaments) found inside the main dome, pendentive as well as eight medallions containing the names of prophets and caliphs date back to the 16th century (Image 18). Decorations beneath the pendentive are believed to have been adjusted or re-modelled during the Austro- Hungarian occupation. Restoration work in this mosque is still pending.

2 Image 1 (left) Dome of the Ferhat- Pasha Mosque

Image 2 (right) Dome of the Emperor’s Mosque

Image 3 Dome of the Karadoz Bey Mosque

Copy from a document in Gazi Husrev- begova medresa, Sarajevo

Shows a detail from the dome decoration in the Ferhat- Pasha Mosque and a closer technique analysis of the rosette chains connected to the central ayet

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Image 4 (left, right) One of the four semi- domes (calottes)

Image 6 Right above the mihrab

Image 5 Qibla wall, Ferhat Pasha Mosque

(left) Decorations on the mimbar in the Ferhat Pasha Mosque

Reveal similarity to the decorations on lowest row of windows (in this image right behind the mimbar)

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Image 7 (left, right) Arabic inscriptions on mimbar, Karadoz Bey Mosque

Image 8 (left) Mimbar side facing the mihrab

Image 9 (right) Right side of the mimbar

Image 10 Entrance, Karadoz Bey Mosque

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Image 11 Qibla wall

Image 12 Entrance, Karadoz Bey Mosque

Right above inscriptions two decorative fields, outlines carved into stone on white field have been only traced with a pencil

Decorative banner on both sides of the entrance similar to the decorative banner on mihrab

Image 13

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Image 14 (left, right) Dome, Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque

Image 15 Qibla wall

Image 16 (left) Mimbar

Image 17 (right) Entrance

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Image 18 Dome contains Rumi decorations, Emperor’s Mosque

(left) Qibla wall, Emperor’s Mosque

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