Architecture of Bibliophilia

Libraries were a new building type in Ottoman architecture at the beginning of the eighteenth century. However, they quickly gained a considerable place among the endowments of Ottoman elite. This book explores the architectural, social and cultural dynamics that shaped the Ottoman library movement in Istanbul during the eighteenth century. It shows how the plans, decorative elements, book collections, staff and patrons of these libraries embodied the remarkable transformations of Ottoman society – notably the swelling of bureaucratic ranks, rising demand for historical and literary works, and a culture of celebrating novelty.The book uses public libraries as a lens to examine these transformations, demonstrating how libraries both reflected and shaped the aesthetic, intellectual and cultural pursuits of the Ottoman reading public. Offering the first comprehensive history of the Ottoman library movement, it reveals the dynamism of Ottoman architecture in this post-classical period.

Yavuz Sezer received his Ph.D. at the History, Theory and Criticism of Architecture and Art Group at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in 2016. From 2013 until 2021, he taught urban, cultural, and architectural history at the Faculty of Architecture, Bilgi University and inspired thousands of students. Sezer’s interests spanned a broad range of subjects, primarily architectural, intellectual, and urban history and history of the book. His untimely passing on March 24, 2021, was a huge loss for his family, friends, colleagues, and students as well as for the field of Ottoman history. The present work is a revised and expanded version of his Ph.D. dissertation completed in 2016.