Abstract:

Depending on the development of medicine, which is as old as the history of humanity, health services have also developed. Undoubtedly, the best way to provide health services, which is one of the most basic needs of humans, has always maintained its importance. In this context, many hospital models have been tried to reach the ideal. In the 18th century, especially doctors playing an active role in hospital design in Europe and America created modern hospital buildings with functional plans and accelerated the spatial development of hospitals. The reflection of this development on the Ottoman Empire was at the end of the century. Selim III established the first hospitals in the modern sense for the newly formed Nizam-ı Cedid army and gave the first examples of this in the capital, Istanbul. During the reign of the sultans who came after him, modern hospitals, both military and civil, were built, and hospitals spread throughout the Ottoman geography, especially with the construction activities that gained momentum during the reign of Abdülhamid II. Hamidiye Hospital in Şanlıurfa is one of the important civilian hospital examples in Anatolia of the hospitals built in Anatolia and Rumelian lands outside the capital city. Şanlıurfa Hamidiye Hospital was built in a large garden, with two floors and a “U” plan. It is located in a high place and outside the city center, as in the civil hospitals of the period. The original plan and façade drawing found in the State Archives are very valuable in terms of showing the change in the current plan and façade of Şanlıurfa Hamidiye Hospital. At the same time, the architect’s signature on the plan is one of the distinctive features of Şanlıurfa Hamidiye Hospital. The hospital, which also includes local features, was built in an eclectic style. Şanlıurfa Hamidiye Hospital stands out as a remarkable example with its very animated and ornamented facade, in contrast to the plain facade arrangement, which is the general characteristic of Ottoman hospitals. In addition to civil and military hospitals built by the Ottoman Empire, forty-eight of the hospitals built by the minorities and missionaries within the borders of Turkey have survived to the present day. It is inevitable that these hospitals have similarities as well as differences from each other. Different plans of hospitals can be considered as one of the most important in this sense. It is understood that eight different plan types are applied in forty-eight hospitals within the borders of Turkey. Two of these plan types have two subtypes. While it is seen that the rectangular plan type is applied intensively in civil hospitals, the examples with middle courtyard and “U” plan come to the fore in military hospitals. Istanbul British Hospital and Istanbul Italian Hospital, built by foreigners, draw attention with their different plans. In this study, the history of Şanlıurfa Hamidiye Hospital was revealed by using archive documents, and its plan, facade and ornamental features were defined. In addition, the plan typology of the Ottoman hospitals was carried out and a general evaluation was made about the hospitals.

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