Page 9 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent
P. 9

Foreword








                               he  richness  of the  sixteenth  century in European art  is such  that  we  tend  to  forget  how
                           Tmuch     was  happening  in  other  parts of the  world. This first  comprehensive  exhibition  of
                           Turkish  art  devoted  to  the  most  celebrated  period  of Ottoman  history, the  reign  of  Sultan
                            Süleyman  the  Magnificent, reminds  us of the  great  civilization that  flourished  at  the  eastern
                            end  of the  Mediterranean.
                              Süleyman  is known  as  "the  Lawgiver" in Turkey for his far-reaching influence on  civil law.
                            Some  of his  acts  were  models  for the  legal  codes  of many  countries, including our  own.  Thus
                            the  sultan's  likeness appears  in  the  chamber  of the  United States House  of  Representatives,
                           joining  the  images  of great  leaders  such  as Hammurabi, Moses,  Solon,  and  Jefferson, whose
                            thinking  helped  to  shape  our  constitution.
                              A brilliant jurist,  Süleyman  was  also  a  discerning  collector,  a  significant patron,  and  an
                            accomplished  poet.  He, as  well  as his  wife,  daughter, sons,  and  court  officials,  commissioned
                            many  architectural monuments  and  literary  and  historical texts. The  sophisticated  patronage
                            of  Süleyman and  his court  nurtured  the  high  standards  and  creativity that  came to  typify
                            Ottoman  art  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The Age of Sultan  Süleyman  the Magnificent,  with more
                            than  two  hundred  judiciously chosen  works  of art, includes manuscripts  (with  examples  of
                            Süleyman's  own  poetry)  as well  as jeweled  vessels,  silks, painted  ceramics,  and  other
                            sumptuous  objects  created  in  the  imperial studios under  the  guidelines established  by  the
                            sultan. This system  of centralized court  workshops  permitted  the  dissemination  of  high
                            standards throughout  the  empire.  These  workshops  were crucial not  only  for the  spread  of
                            favored  themes  from  the  capital to  provincial centers,  but  also  for fostering  a  synthesis  of
                            European  and  Islamic styles with  Turkish  ones.
                              We are  indebted  to  the  Turkish government  for its enthusiastic  response in  lending to  us
                            under  its new  law  that  allows national treasures to  leave the  country  on  a  temporary  basis.
                            Kenan  Evren, the  president  of the  Republic of Turkey; Turgut Ôzal,  the  prime  minister;  Mesut
                            Yilmaz,  the  state  minister  for information; Vahit  Halefoglu,  the  minister  of foreign  affairs;
                            Mükerrem  Ta^cioglu,  the  minister of culture and  tourism;  §ükrü  Elekdag,  the  ambassador  of
                            the  Republic of Turkey;  M.  Olu§ Ank,  deputy minister of culture and  tourism;  Erdogan
                            Sanalan,  general  director  of cultural affairs  in  the  Ministry of Foreign  Affairs;  Nurettin
                            Yardimci,  general  director of antiquities and  museums  in  the  Ministry  of Culture  and
                            Tourism;  and  other  Turkish  officials  and  their  staffs  have  helped  bring this  exhibition  to
                            fruition  with  the  same  spirit  of patronage  of the  arts demonstrated  by  Süleyman  himself.  In
                            addition,  we  would  like to thank  Robert  Strausz-Hupé, the  United  States  ambassador  to
                            Turkey,  and  his  staff,  who  have  energetically promoted  this cultural exchange.  We  are  also
                            grateful  to the  public  institutions  and  private  collectors  who  have entrusted  us with these
                            magnificent  objects.  A  list  of their  names  follows this  Foreword.
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