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An exhibition pairing the poetry of Ottoman sultans with the traditional arts of calligraphy and illumination has opened at the Dolmabahce Palace Art Gallery in Istanbul, offering visitors a look at the rulers as writers and patrons of the arts rather than only as political and military leaders.
"Saltanat Dizeleri," or "Verses of the Sultanate," features 26 works by 26 artists, each interpreting a poem by an Ottoman ruler.
The pieces span the dynasty’s history, from Ertugrul Gazi to Mehmed the Conqueror, Selim I and Suleiman the Magnificent. They highlight the rulers’ interest in literature and their sense of aesthetics.
The exhibition was organized under the Taksim Mosque Islamic Education, Culture and Art Foundation and coordinated by illuminator Hacer Sonmez. It runs through Nov. 1.
At the opening, Istanbul Deputy Governor Esengul Korkmaz Cicekli said she believes art should always lead toward goodness and beauty.
She said she had come to know Sonmez and her sister Hatice while serving as district governor of Beykoz. "I have personally witnessed how they shouldered demanding work there," she said.
Beyoglu District Governor Abdullah Atakan Atasoy congratulated Sonmez on 25 years of teaching and artistic work. He also thanked the foundation for its support of culture, art and education.
Ziya Altan Elmas, chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees, said Ottoman civilization developed its own sense of elegance and proportion over more than six centuries, joining power with delicacy and grandeur with humility.
He said the exhibition highlights a valuable but often overlooked side of the rulers’ history.
"That verses drawn from the hearts of rulers who carried the weight of the state are given new life by the pens of our calligraphers and the delicate ornamentation of our illuminators is a meaningful bridge between past and present," Elmas said.
He added that the foundation sees Taksim Mosque as more than a place of worship, envisioning it as a center of civilization where scholarship, art and culture coexist. Keeping traditional arts alive, he said, means passing them on to new generations.
"The past is a strong memory that shows us which direction to walk toward the future," he said.
Sonmez said illumination is one of the most refined art forms in a long cultural tradition. She said the project aims to introduce young people to the craft.
"Our aim is not only to remind people of the past, but also for our children and young people to take an interest in our traditional arts, and for a love of illumination to blossom in new generations," she said. "Knowing our past, keeping our culture alive and passing it on to the future is the responsibility of all of us."
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