Ottoman Art and Science

The Ottomans were known for their achievements in art,

science and medicine. Istanbul and other major cities
throughout the empire were recognized as artistic hubs,
especially during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent.

Some of the most popular forms of art included calligraphy,

painting, poetry, textiles and carpet weaving, ceramics and
music.

Ottoman architecture also helped define the culture of the time.

Elaborate mosques and public buildings were constructed
during this period.

Science was regarded as an important field of study. The

Ottomans learned and practiced advanced mathematics,
astronomy, philosophy, physics, geography and chemistry.

Additionally, some of the greatest advances in medicine were

made by the Ottomans. They invented several surgical
instruments that are still used today, such as forceps,
catheters, scalpels, pincers and lancets.

After ruling for more than 600 years, the Ottoman Turks are
often remembered for their powerful military, ethnic diversity,
artistic ventures, religious tolerance and architectural marvels.

The mighty empire’s influence is still very much alive in the

present-day Turkish Republic, a modern, mostly secular nation
thought of by many scholars as a continuation of the Ottoman
Empire.

During its 600-year existence, the Ottoman Empire made significant advances in science
and technology, in a wide range of fields including mathematics, astronomy and
medicine.
Although the formal education of women was not popular, female physicians and
surgeons were still accounted for. Female physicians were given an informal education
instead of a formal one.[6] However, the first properly trained female Turkish physician
was Safiye Ali.
Technical education[edit]
Istanbul Technical University has a history that began in 1773. It was founded by
Sultan Mustafa III as the Imperial Naval Engineers' School (original name:
Mühendishane-i Bahr-i Humayun), and it was originally dedicated to the training of ship
builders and cartographers. In 1795 the scope of the school was broadened to train
technical military staff to modernize the Ottoman army to match the European standards.
In 1845 the engineering department of the school was further developed with the addition
of a program devoted to the training of architects
he school became a public engineering school which was aimed at training
civil engineers who could create new infrastructure to develop the empire.
The Ottoman Empire was one of the mightiest and longest-
lasting dynasties in world history. This Islamic-run superpower
ruled large areas of the Middle East, Eastern Europe and North
Africa for more than 600 years.
Astronomy
Astronomy was a very important discipline in the Ottoman Empire. Ali Quşhji, one of the
most important astronomers of the state, managed to make the first map of the Moon and
wrote the first book describing the shapes of the Moon. At the same time, a new system
was developed for Mercury. Mustafa ibn Muwaqqit and Muhammad Al-Qunawi, another
important astronomer of the Ottoman Empire, developed the first astronomical
calculations measuring minutes and seconds.
Taqi al-Din later built the Constantinople Observatory of Taqi ad-Din in 1577, where he
carried out astronomical observations until 1580.
Taqi al-Din was also the first astronomer to employ a decimal point notation in
his observations rather than the sexagesimal fractions used by his contemporaries and
predecessors.

GEOGRAPHY;
Ottoman admiral Piri Reis (Turkish: Pîrî Reis or Hacı Ahmet Muhittin Pîrî Bey) was
a navigator, geographer and cartographer active in the early 1500s. He is known today
for his maps and charts collected in his Kitab-ı Bahriye (Book of Navigation), and for
the Piri Reis map, one of the oldest maps of America still in existence.
Medicine
Medicine in the Ottoman Empire was practiced in nearly all places of society as
physicians treated patients in homes, markets, and hospitals.
One of the original building blocks of early Ottoman medicine was humoralism, and the
concept of illness to be a result of disequilibrium among the four humors of the body. The
four physiological humors each related to one of the four elements: blood and air, phlegm
and water, black bile and earth, yellow bile and fire.
Hospitals were vakif institutions, dedicated to charity and offering care to people of all
social classes.[12] The aesthetic aspects of the hospitals, including gardens and
architecture, were said to be "healing by design".[16] The hospitals also
included hammams, or bathhouses, to treat the patients' humors.[
The first Ottoman hospital established was the Faith Complex dârüşşifâ in 1470; it closed
in 1824.[15] Unique features of the hospital were the separation of patients by sex and the
use of music to treat the mentally ill. The Bâyezîd Dârüşşifâ was founded in 1488 and is
most recognized for its unique architecture that served as an influence an influence in the
architecture of later European hospitals.[15] The hospital built by Ayşe Hafsa Sulta in
1522 is recognized as one of the most esteemed hospitals of the Ottoman Empire.
The first modern medical school of the Ottoman Empire was the Naval Medical School,
or Tersâne Tıbbiyesi, established in January 1806.
Behçet Efendi founded the Imperial Medical School, Tıbhâne-I Âmire, of Istanbul in 1827
which was based on the following structural guidelines: the acceptance only of Muslim
students, and the teachings would be almost entirely in French.
The Ottoman Empire was also home to many institutions organized for the purpose of
inoculation vaccination research and investigations. In Istanbul, the İstanbul Rabies and
Bacteriological Laboratory was founded in 1877 for research in microbiology and the
testing of rabies inoculation
The first Ottoman hospital, Dar al-Shifa (literally "house of health"), was built in the
Ottoman’s capital city of Bursa in 1399.[24] This hospital and the ones built after were
structured similarly to the ones of the Seljuk Empire, where "even wounded crusaders
preferred Muslim doctors as they were very knowledgeable.
PHYSICS
Another important inventor, Lagâri Hasan Çelebi, managed to fly with his invention of
rockets by getting the approval of his sultan and throwing himself to the Moon.
Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi created wings in 1632 as a result of his aerodynamic calculations
using his own mathematical and physical knowledge and skills and left himself down from
Galata Tower. Although this event is said to be legendary, some scientists say that this
event may be rea
MECHANICAL TECHNOLOGY
The Ottoman engineer Taqi al-Din invented a mechanical astronomical clock, capable of
striking an alarm at any time specified by the user.
In 1559, Taqi al-Din invented a six-cylinder 'Monoblock' pump.
In 1551, Taqi al-Din described an early example of an impulse steam turbine and also
noted practical applications for a steam turbine
The Ottoman Empire in the 16th century was known for their military power throughout
southern Europe and the Middle East.

ARTILLERY
Ottoman artillery included a number of cannons, most of which were designed by Turkish
engineers.The Ottoman Empire military was also tactically proficient in the use of small
arms weapons such as rifles and handguns. Like many other great powers, the Ottomans
issued the M1903 Mauser bolt-action rifle to its most elite front-line infantry and cavalry
soldiers, also known as Janissaries.[47] With a five-round box magazine and maximum
effective range of 600 meters, the Ottomans were able to effectively engage enemy
soldiers when they were unable to utilize field artillery cannons.