Plastic Arts

   Miniatures gained the quality of a national art in the Seljuk period. In this period, some school of painting called "Nakışhane" of "Nigarhane" were opened in Turkey and in the territories under Turkish rule. In these schools, famous masters taught their students the art of the miniature.
   Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror started the tradition of "Şehnames" which were poems written about the private lives and histories of sultans. He also offered attractive working conditions to manuscript illuminators. The Sultan invited the Italian artists, Matteo di Pasti and Constanzio di Ferrara to Istanbul and had them design medals with his own portrait on them. Meanwhile, the famous painter, Bellini, also was invited to Istanbul; he painted the portrait of the Sultan and some views of Istanbul.
   The main characteristic of the Turkish art of painting before the 18th century was that is was two-dimensional. The miniature, despite being inspired by actual surroundings was not confined in it self with the object; it used decorations widely. Using bright and pure colours,
it neglected light, shape and perspective. The relationship with the Western world began in the 18th century, and led to new developments in painting. "Peinture" took the place of the miniature in this period.
   With the exhibitions begun in 1873, Turkish painting left the Palace and reached the people. The second important event in the history of turkish painting was the establishment in 1883 of "Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi"
( The School of Fine Arts.)

   Decorative Arts: Turkish decoration had its inception in the First century B.C. The best examples of Turkish decorative arts which occured during the Seljuk and Ottoman periods consisted of various types: filigree, marbling miniature, stained glass, calligraphy, gilding, engraving, damascene and tile. Today, some of these art forms are state-supported.
   Marbling is the art of decoration calligraphy in books. It is claimed that the best examples of marbling were produced by Turkish artists.
This art came from Turkestan by way of the "Silk Road" and was first introduced into Iran and then to anatolia.
   Tiles have a special and important place in Turkish decorative arts.
Walls of monuments were generally decorated with tiles in Anatolian and orhet Seljuk cities. These tiles were made using mosaic techniques or as one-colour tablets. The oldest Seljuk tiles known in history were first used in Konya.
The Alaeddin Mosque founded in Konya was finished in 1220.
   The oldest Ottoman tiles that remain today, are the ones on the minaret of the Green Mosque in Iznik which was constructed between 1391-1392.
Ottoman tiles have richer colours and motifs than the Seljuk. Stylised and naturalistic flowers can be observed on XVIth century Turkish tiles.

A miniature