The architects of Ottoman Constantinople : [Book] the Balyan family and the history of Ottoman architecture / Alyson Wharton

Includes bibliographical references (pages 232-250) and index

Introduction -- The position of Imperial Architect and the Balyan family -- Karapet Balyan as an Amira and his role in the mobilization of the Armenian community of Constantinople -- The Balyan family, Paris and the birth of the Armenian-Ottoman Romantic era -- Official style and architecture in the Tanzimat -- The networks behind the Imperial building works of the Tanzimat -- The downfall of Serkis Balyan -- Conclusion

The Balyan family were a dynasty of architects, builders and property owners who acted as the official architects to the Ottoman Sultans throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Originally Armenian, the family is responsible for some of the most famous Ottoman buildings in existence, many of which are regarded as masterpieces of their period – including the Dolmabahçe Palace (built between 1843 and 1856), parts of the Topkapi Palace, the Çiragan Palace and the Ortaköy Mosque. Forging a unique style based around European contemporary architecture but with distinctive Ottoman flourishes, the family is an integral part of Ottoman history. As Alyson Wharton's beautifully illustrated book reveals, the Balyan's own history, of falling in and out of favour with increasingly autocratic Sultans, serves as a record of courtly power in the Ottoman era and is uniquely intertwined with the history of Istanbul itself.

All.