Comments on the Influence of the Western Architectural Styles on the Ottoman Water Structures; Case study Sultan Mahmud II Dam

Abstract

Western architectural styles are introduced to the Ottoman architecture gradually starting with the beginning of the 18th century. These styles were accepted by the Ottoman society rapidly after the second half of the 18th century and the Western patterns were widely used in art and architecture. The most distinctive influence is observed on the water structures such as fountains and water conveyance structures. Ottomans welcomed the relationship of water and Baroque forms in their culture. The Sultan Mahmud II Dam dating to 1839 is one of the three dams that were constructed in the Taksim water conveyance system that supplies water to the region where the non-Muslim Ottoman population and Westerns lived. This dam is the largest dam of the system and bears the most decorative curved Baroque forms. Although this dam was constructed very far away from the city within the Belgrade Forest its design and construction competes with the contemporary buildings in the city. In this paper the function, architecture, architectural decoration of the Sultan Mahmud II Dam will be introduced and the perception of the Baroque style of the Ottoman architects will be emphasized by giving some other examples from the same period.