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COPYRIGHT 2001 Eastern Mediterranean University
Abstract
In the Ottoman Empire, the bazaars were considered among the mast important places in a city. Here the appearance of people from various levels reflected the pluralistic side of the Ottoman society. On the other hand, bazaar areas, such as Avrat Pazari (the Women's Market) in Konya or Bartin were those areas where women also could be present and contributed to the commercial activities. Because Ottoman women's relationship with the communal spaces remained limited, Avrat Pazari was an important urban area for the spatial perception of women.
Women's relationship with the public spaces could be summarized in two aspects: Women who used the space, and women who sponsored the construction of architectural works. The only means of space creation for women in the Classical Period could be by beneficiary facilities, such as a foundation of religious kulliyes. Royal women, such as the mother, wives or daughters of the Sultan might initiate a waqf in order to contribute to social life for Allah's sake. In doing this, they proposed to raise their prestigious status and to be remembered eternally by the pious. These charity works in Istanbul Haseki Complex played an important role. Before its construction there were some waqf works built by other female benefactors, such as Keyci Hatun, Gulbahar Hatun or Gevher Sultan, and probably provided for female users.
Another area for women was the Avrat Pazari in the district, where the shops or removable desks took place. The bazaar once occupied the farmer Byzantine Forum of Arcadius, which was a large square on the imperial street, Mese, until the sixteenth century. The Forum also included the Column of Arcadius, where historical war scenes were carved. When the city views from the 15th and 16th centuries are investigated the various transformations, the Forum survived could be perceived. For example, Matrakci Nasuh's Istanbul map reflects the architectural development of this part of the capitol, depicting the shops and domed buildings next the Arcadius Column.
Although the Avrat Pazari does not exist today, its remains could be traced up until the 1912s. In the 19th century maps, not only the bazaar area, but also neighboring public and religious buildings, the street pattern and the environment were extant.
To conclude the Haseki district, including the Avrat Pazari, acquired its urban identity through the architectural works of the benefactors who were mostly women. Through this effort, women founders acquired prestigious status and on immortal name on the one hand, and on the other hand, the district oppeared as on area where the public works for women were varied and enriched.
Osmanli Imparatorlugu nda kentlerin en onemli bilesenlerinden biri carsilardir. Burada toplumum cesitli kesimlerine ait kisiler alisveris yaparak Osmanli toplumun cogulcu yapisini yansitirlar. Imparatorlugun cesitli yerlerinde (Konya, bartin) bulunan Avrat Pazarlari ise daha cok kadinlarin alis ve satis yapabildikeri yelerdir. Osmanli kadininin kamusal mekanla iliskisi oldukca kisitli bulundugundan, Avrat Pazarlari Kadinlarin kentsel mekani algilamasinda onemli yer tutar.
Osmanli kadinin kamusal mekanla iliskisi iki cephede gozlenebilir. Birinci cephede mekani kullanan kadinlar ve ikincisinde mekanin yaratilarinin ve kulliyelerin yapiminda kadinlarin rolu on plana cikmaktadir. Padisahin ailesine mensup veya toplumum ust katmaninda bulunan Valide Sultanlar, Haseki Sultanlar ve padisahin kizlari yaptirdikiari hayir eserleri nedeniyle, toplumsal yararin yanisira, hem padisah ailesinin kadinlarina presitij kazandirmayi, hem de adlarini olusuz kilmayi amaclarlar. Bu nedenle kurulumus eserler arasinda Haseki Kulliyesi Istanbul semtleerinde onemli bir yer tutmaktadir. Kulliye nin kurulusu ile birlikte burada daha once Keyci Hatun, Gulbahar Hatun, Gevher Sultan gibi kadinlar tarafindan kurulan ve yine kadinlara yonelik oldugu sanilan diger hayir kurumlari da on plana cirmistir.
Bolgede yine kadinlara yonelik kurulmus, bir diger alan da Avrat Pazari'dir. Bu Pazar yeri gerek sabit dukkanlari, gerekse tasinabilir tezgahlari ile cevrede bulu nan semt saminlerine yonelik bir ticari alandir. Kapladigi alan Bizons donemi'ne ait Eski Arkadius Forumu'dur. Bizand doneminin imparatorluk Caddesi olan Mese yoly uzerinde bulunan buyuk alanlardan biri olan Arkadios Forumu, 16. Yuzyila dek Arkodios Sutununu da iceren genis bir meydan kimligindeydi. istanbul'un 15. ve 16. Yuzyilina dair Osmanli oncesi ve sonrasi duzenlenen haritalara bakildiginda forumun gecirdigi osamalar da gozlenmektedir. Ornegin Matrakci Nasuh'un istanbul haritasinda sutunun bitisiginde yer alan dukkanlar ve kubbeli binalar buradaki mimari gelismenin de habercisidir.
Avrat Pazari bugun mevcut olmanakla birlikte, izleri 1912 lere kadar uzanabilmistir. 19. Yuzyila ait haritalarda Avrat Pazari'nin kapladigi alanin yanisira, cevresinde bulunan kamusal-dini yapilar, sokak dokusu ve pazarin kent icindeki konumu gozlenebilmektedir.
Sonuc olarak, Avrat Pazari'ni da iceren Haseki Mahallesi, kadin girisimcilerin kurduklari mimari eserlerle kimlik kazanan ve boylece hem bu kisilerin adlarinin kalici olmasi hedeflenen, hem de istanbul'da kadinlara yonelik mamusal mekanlarin zenginlesmesini ve cesitlenmesini saglayan bir alan olarak karsimiza cikmaktadir.
Introduction: Women's Social Life in the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire in the sixteenth century was regarded by strict regulations of society. Religious codes of Islam organized the social classes, religious beliefs, social genders status in daily life, according to a hierarchical order. Religious rules differentiated the Muslim, Christian and Jewish people. Every professional group, even the marginal layers of the society belonged to a certain guild, a fact that reinforced the authority of ruling elites. The servants of the Ottoman palace were completely segregated from ordinary people whose mentality and way of life were opposites. (1)
Also man and woman lived in separate spiritual worlds where the woman occupied only a small area for improving or expressing her personality. The life of the Ottoman woman was programmed nearly at birth. At the age of fourteen or fifteen her marriage was arranged. She was expected to fulfill her marital duties, to bear many children and to raise them. The best years of her life began as an elder. She could reach a higher status within the larger family where sons and grandsons obeyed her rules. The mother of the patriarchal family was considered as the secret patron of the house. (2)
This article is a study of Turkish woman's relationship with her enclosed area by exemplifying the market street, Avrat Pazari. Avrat Pazari was a commercial street in Istanbul, where among sellers and customers were women. The article also investigates the bazaars' position in its environment and within the historical urban pattern.
Woman's Spatial Boundaries in the Sixteenth Century
The definition how the Ottoman women perceived space could be viewed in two ways: women as space creators and women as space users. As architects in the Empire worked at the status of engineer and artisan, it was beyond imagination that a woman could be directly involved in the construction process. The only involvement with space creation for women in the Classical Period was through beneficiary facilities, such as the foundation of religious kulliyes. Royal women, such as the mother, wives or daughters of the Sultan might initiate a waqf in order to contribute to social life for Allah's sake. Through this effort they tried to escape from the fate of anonymity. Female members of the Sultan's family founded charity works, such as the mosque, medrese, primary school, hospital, fountain or bath for the public use. These buildings were named after their nickname and status. Mimar Sinan built two mosques for Mihrimah Sultan, Suleyman's daughter. Suleyman's wife, Hurrem Sultan initiated a religious complex in Ista nbul and works in Mekka, Medina and Jerusalem.
Other religious buildings, such as Yeni Valide Cami'i or Yeni Cami'i reflected women's contribution to...
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