Abstract:

Ekrem Hakkı Ayverdi 1899-1984 , was a leading Turkish art historian, architect and restorator, and also an impassioned collector of Ottoman calligraphy and art works. He was born in 1899 in Istanbul, Şehzadebaşı and passed away on 29 April 1984. After having graduated from the Mühendis Mektebi “School of Engineering” in 1920 -actually İstanbul Technical University-, he worked for a short time in the Municipality of Istanbul, but quitted his functions a few years later and then worked independently as an architecte, restorator and also a contractor until the year of 1950. During this periode, he was completely involved to built various buildings and constructions. He restored also a record number of historic edifices - palaces, public buildings as hammams, covered bazaars, aqueducs, fountains- in Istanbul, Bursa, Edirne as well as other cities of Turkey, especially on Thrace. One of most important and longest work of Ekrem Hakkı Ayverdi was the restoration and renovation of the different sections of the Topkapı Palace which continued from 1935 to 1945; among them: the Gate of Salutation, the Gate of Felicity, Imperial Council Chamber, Ağalar and Beşir Ağa Mosques, Imperail Kitchens and Stables, Apartements of the Sultan’s Favorites, etc. As Ayverdi says in an interview, due to these works, he was specialized in construction techniques and building characteristics of the different periodes of Ottoman architecture. After 1950, Ayverdi consacred his time to researchs and surveys on Ottoman Architecture. He published monographs, many articles on the conservation of monuments, etc., books on architecture and a serie of maps on the historical topography of Istanbul in the XIXth century. One of he most important works of Ayverdi, is his opus of eight volumes on the history of Ottoman architecture. The first four volumes for early Ottoman architecture from the XIIth century up to the end of Mehmet the Conqueror’s reign 1451-1481 , and the four volumes Ottoman architecture in the former European territories of the Empire. He was also published with Prof. Ömer Lütfi Barkan a very preciouse study concerning the pious fondations of Istanbul in the XV-XVI centuries, entitled “Cadastral Registers of Istanbul Foundations / İstanbul Vakıfl arı Tahrir Defteri”. Ekrem Hakki Ayverdi was also an important collectioner of the Ottoman calligraphy -Korans, calligraphic panels, prayers books, muraqqas- and traditional Ottoman art works; like vests and covers with talisman, seals, tiles and tile panels, plates, cups, etc., embroderies, bindings, hand painted fabrics, çeşmibülbüls a traditional glass art , Koran covers, bowls, ewers, bottles, jewelry boxes, gilded copper metalwares, Edirnekâri works, silver objets, paintings and many others as well. Ayverdi was also founded of “Kubbealtı Academy Foundation of Culture and Arts / Kubbealtı Akademisi Kültür ve Sanat Vakfı” with the contribution of his late sister Sâmiha Ayverdi and his late wife İlhan Ayverdi. He donated all his collection to this association. From 1952 to 1983, he had been also the chairman of Istanbul Conquest Association / İstanbul Fetih Cemiyeti and established with literary historian and writer Nihat Sami Banarlı, Institute of Yahya Kemal and Istanbul / Yahya Kemal ve İstanbul Enstitüsü.

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