Compare And Contrast The Ottoman Empires And Safavids

Through out history, architecture has played an important role in ultimately defining the upbringing of a culture. Whether it be instilled for upholding the traditions or adapting over time through conquering and replicating previous dynasties, architecture is molded with the artistry of its environment and people. Two dynasties that are great examples of phenomenal architecture are the Ottomans and the Safavids. Though both dynasties have comparable traits in exterior and interior in design, they also have qualities that are exclusive to their own. We shall further discuss into the origins of both dynasties while correlating them through deeper analysis.
The Ottoman dynasty was the longest lasting Islamic dynasty which began to establish itself

One of the royal mosques modeled after it was the Süleymaniye. This was built by the most capable Ottoman sultan (a king) of the 16th century who was known as Süleyman the Magnificent. Located on on the second Hill of Istanbul, Turkey, the construction of the Süleymaniye was the sultan 's way of expressing his self-conscious representation of himself as a "second Solomon." Exterior of the Süleymaniye is introduced by a immense courtyard on its west side, reminscence of peristyle (a courtyard surrounded by a colonnade) with columns of marble, granite and porphyry. The interior of the mosque is vast in space nonetheless subtle with it 's ornamentation in use of Iznik tiles. The white marble mihrab and mimbar are also simple and woodwork is subdued, with simple designs in ivory. The dome is bordered by semi-domes, and to the north and south arches with tympana windows (a vertical recessed triangular space forming the center of a pediment, usually decorated with figures and or organic shapes), supported by enormous porphyry monoliths.
The Safavid dynasty lived from the late 15th century until the mid-18th century, and the first three shahs (ruler)

Both these dynasties inherently inhabited the same territories (the Timurids ruled until the 1500s). Unfortunately due to a series of later earthquakes, there is not much surviving architecture from the reigns of the first two Safavid shahs. Shah Abbas, who moved the Safavid capital to Isfahan, practically reinvented the city based on collection of buildings including palaces, mosques, bazaars and madrasas. Abbas arranged the center of the city around a large open area called the Meydan-i Shah (Square of the Ruler) and located to the south end of the Meydan-i Shah is the largest of Shah Abbas 's imperial mosques, the Masjid-i Shah (Mosque of the Shah). The Masjid-i Shah"s development began in the 1612 and finished by around 1638. Something unique about the position of the mosque against the position of the square is that the qibla wall of the mosque is not adjusted with the square because the square was present prior to the mosque, hence the architects of the Masjid-i Shah built the entrance portal to the mosque turning 45 degrees. Another unique and fascinating note is that the scale is incredible. These enormous portals and minarets were garnished in elegant tile with massively patterned color to create a cohesive effect on the courtyard of the mosque. As for the interior, the abundant use of blue, yellow and gold including with the tessellations of vines, leaves