The mosque of Mahmud II in Tophane

Description

Featured in the 1836 collaborative work of Thomas Allom and Robert Walsh, this steel engraving depicts the Mosque of Mahmud II (Nusretiye Mosque) rising on the Tophane shores of Istanbul. While the artwork centers on the aesthetic details of the mosque blending classical Ottoman architecture with Western (Baroque and Empire) styles, its magnificent dome, and slender minarets, it illustrates the vibrant maritime culture of the Bosphorus, a massive sailing galleon docked at the pier, and civilians in caiques in the foreground. The visual objectively documents the aesthetic/architectural transformation experienced in the Ottoman capital in the 19th century and the seamless integration of the sea with urban life.