The Calligraphic Arrangement of the Laleli Complex (Evaluation of Inscriptions and Writings)

The Laleli Complex was built by Mustafa III 1760-1764 and its architectural features are representative of the intermediate period of the transition from classical Ottoman to Westernization. This feature of the complex also allows one to follow the social and mental breakdowns experienced in the 18th century through architecture. The complex was completed by the architect Mehmed Tahir Ağa and was repaired many times. During the reign of Mustafa III, the complex was affected by disasters such as earthquakes and fires that destroyed many parts of Istanbul. Mustafa III is considered among the important patron sultans due to having rebuilt and revived many of Istanbul’s structures. This article attempts to reveal how the entirety of this historical process and the related phenomena affected the inscriptions as an architecture-related element. This article generally addresses the formal and functional changes that occurred in architecture while being able to ignore the direction of other architecture-related elements. The placement and content of the inscriptions and epigraphs in particular should be evaluated from this perspective, as they are an integral part of architecture due to their ability to convey political content and messages in addition to religious content in the face of a changing sociology. This article attempts to evaluate all aspects of the inscriptions and writings in the Laleli Complex.