Visits & Study Days
Study Day A date for you Diary
Tuesday 5 May 2026
The Coplow Centre, Billesdon LE7 9FL
Antonia Gatward Cevizli
Istanbul - City of Faith, Power and Beauty
The three lectures are
Lecture 1 The Conquest of Constantinople and the Making of Istanbul
This talk will immerse you in some of the
architectural marvels of Istanbul. It explores the
iconic landmarks of Topkapi Palace, the Grand
Bazaar, the Blue Mosque and more. We will
think about the sultans who built them and how
they communicated ideas about themselves,
their power and their place in the world.
Lecture 2 Treasures of Ottoman Istanbul:
Suleiman the Magnificent's Era and Beyond
The Ottoman Empire was at the peak of its
power during the reign of Süleyman the
Magnificent. Money was pouring into the
Ottoman capital and being invested in
architecture, ceramics, textiles and manuscripts.
This lecture introduces some of the treasures of
this period and Süleyman’s importance as a
patron.
View of the Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey. The Basilica Cistern, or Cisterna Basilica is the largest of
several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city.
Diego Delso, license CC BY-SA
Lecture 3 Carnations, Tulips and Hyacinths: The Story of Turkey's Iznik
Ceramics
Immerse yourself in a world of
carnations, tulips, hyacinths and
roses as you discover the history of
the famous Turkish Iznik ceramics.
From its origins imitating Chinese
porcelain to its 16th-century heyday
and subsequent decline. The focus
on flowers makes this an ideal
subject for spring but it works equally
well at any time of year.
Tiles with red clouds Iznik Turkey 2nd half underglaze painting on quarz ceramics.
Dosseman, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
Price and booking form to follow
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