1-ICAUD Timurid Tile Style in Anatolia and Footprints of Masters of Tabriz Mustafa Ça ğhan Keskin (M.Sc. Arch. Mustafa Çağhan Keskin, Istanbul Technical University, ITU Faculty of Architecture, Taskisla 34437, Istanbul, Turkey, caghankeskin@gmail.com) 1 ABSTRACT Due to the political situation after the Ankara Battle, impact of Timurid style appears in Ottoman art lasting about a century. After reorganizing process from the concussion of defeat in Ankara, Ottomans import the artistic style of Timurids, which is their new politic model and rival, with a traumatic apprehension. The signs of this import style can be seen in several structures in Ottoman state and several principalities around. A survey of these structures gives information on the journey of the first group of artists that came from the Timurid state to Anatolia. The first, who came to Anatolia, were a group of Tabrizian artists, with NakkaƦ Ali, who was taken away from Bursa to Semerkand and set free to return after the death of Timur. Masters of Tabriz, who were thought to work in Timurid structures in Samarkand , undertook the tile decoration of YeƦil Complex (1419- 1424), which was the first significant architectural activity after the Ankara Battle. Masters of Tabriz implemented the cuerda seca technique and some other Timurid tile tradition, as an innovation for Anatolia in YeƦil Complex. Just after completing their work in YeƦil Complex, they continued to work in Muradiye Complex (1424-1426). Then, they moved to Edirne with the order of sultan, to decorate Muradiye Mevlevihanesi (1427). After Edirne, they appear in Kütahya, capital of the Germiyanoğlu Principality, decorating the tomb of Yakup Beg II (1429), who had political and relative connections with the Ottoman dynasty. Tomb of Yakup Beg II had been the last work of Masters of Tabriz in Bursa-Edirne-Kütahya triangle. Probably, they left this region to return their homeland, Tabriz, afterwards. However, the cuerda seca tiles in Ƥbrahim Beg II Ƥmaret in Karaman (1432) suggests that, Masters of Tabriz should work there as well. The journey of a fifteenth century artist group will be traced with historical and architectural references based on a chronologic survey on the tiles of the buildings. 2 INTRODUCTION The political conflict between Ottomans and Timurids ended up by Ankara Battle in 1402. With the defeat of Ottomans, political and cultural impact of Timurids appeared in Anatolia. The political unity of Anatolia, constituted by Ottomans, was distributed and the principalities were founded again. Therefore, Anatolia felt under the rule of Timurids. This circumstance enabled cultural and artistic interaction between Anatolia and the Timurid world. Intellectuals, poets, ambassadors and merchants from Iran and Central Asia introduced the Timurid culture to Anatolia. The visual outputs of Timurid culture in Anatolia were the art objects. Artists, craftsmen and masters from Iran and Central Asia introduced the Timurid art style and techniques. The impact of Timurid style and techniques can be followed mainly in architecture. Paradoxically, the Timurid architecture style had appeared first in the Ottoman state. After reorganizing process from the concussion of defeat in Ankara, Ottomans imported the artistic style of Timurids. Despite this traumatic apprehension, Ottomans intended to challenge with Timurids through using the most efficient propaganda way of its age, the architecture. Based on Seljuk and Ilkhanid architecture, the distinctive feature of Timurid architecture was the huge dimensions of the structures and intense tile decoration. 1 Domes, portals, minarets, iwans, interior and exterior wall surfaces were decorated with turquoise, blue, white, black, yellow and red coloured geometric or floral pattern tiles. 2 Being the main component of the decoration, the technique and colour variations of 1 For Timurid Architecture: GOLOMBEK, Lisa-WILBER, Donald: The Timurid Architecture of Iran and Turan, Princeton, 1988. 2 ÖNEY, Gönül: Ƥslâm Mimarîsinde Çini, Istanbul, 1987, pp. 60-61. 1 st International Conference on Architecture & Urban Design Proceedings 19-21 April 2012 – www.icaud.epoka.edu.al EPOKA University Department of Architecture 1353