Timurid Tile Style in Anatolia and Footprints of Masters of Tabriz

Abstract

Due to the political situation after the Ankara Battle, impact of Timurid style appears in Ottoman art lasting about a century. After reorganizing process from the concussion of defeat in Ankara, Ottomans import the artistic style of Timurids, which is their new politic model and rival, with a traumatic apprehension. The signs of this import style can be seen in several structures in Ottoman state and several principalities around. A survey of these structures gives information on the journey of the first group of artists that came from the Timurid state to Anatolia. The first, who came to Anatolia, were a group of Tabrizian artists, with NakkaĢ Ali, who was taken away from Bursa to Semerkand and set free to return after the death of Timur. Masters of Tabriz, who were thought to work in Timurid structures in Samarkand , undertook the tile decoration of YeĢil Complex (1419- 1424), which was the first significant architectural activity after the Ankara Battle. Masters of Tabriz implemented the cuerda seca technique and some other Timurid tile tradition, as an innovation for Anatolia in YeĢil Complex. Just after completing their work in YeĢil Complex, they continued to work in Muradiye Complex (1424-1426). Then, they moved to Edirne with the order of sultan, to decorate Muradiye Mevlevihanesi (1427). After Edirne, they appear in Kütahya, capital of the Germiyanoğlu Principality, decorating the tomb of Yakup Beg II (1429), who had political and relative connections with the Ottoman dynasty. Tomb of Yakup Beg II had been the last work of Masters of Tabriz in Bursa-Edirne-Kütahya triangle. Probably, they left this region to return their homeland, Tabriz, afterwards. However, the cuerda seca tiles in Ġbrahim Beg II Ġmaret in Karaman (1432) suggests that, Masters of Tabriz should work there as well. The journey of a fifteenth century artist group will be traced with historical and architectural references based on a chronologic survey on the tiles of the buildings.