The mausoleum of Sultan Mehmed I in Bursa

Description

Featured in the 1836 collaborative work of Thomas Allom and Robert Walsh, this steel engraving depicts the interior of the Mausoleum of Sultan Mehmed I (Green Tomb), a masterpiece of early Ottoman architecture in Bursa. The artwork details the octagonal architectural structure of the space, the intricately crafted mihrab, the original tile panels ornamenting the walls, and the pointed arch windows. Civil figures gathered around the catafalque, kneeling in reverence and praying, are illustrated in the foreground. This visual aesthetically documents that in the Ottoman belief system, mausoleums were not merely monumental tombs, but living memory spaces where the public found spiritual peace through prayer and visitation traditions.