Turkish Islamic Art GoTürkiye

The foundation of the Seljuk and Ottoman Empires set the scene for the developments of Turkish Islamic art. The Seljuks were important patrons of the arts and literature. They developed a flourishing program of decorative arts, forging their own distinctive style. Ottoman Turkish heritage is inseparable from Turkish Islamic art. The Ottoman Empire lasted from the end of the 13^th century to the early 20^thcentury. This impressive longevity, combined with an immense territory, led naturally to vital and distinctive art, the mass production of tiles and vessels, jewelry, the Turkish art of marbling known as “Ebru”, Turkish carpets and tapestries, and exceptional Ottoman miniatures and decorative Ottoman illumination. The Ottomans are also known for their development of a bright red pigment, İznik red, in ceramics that reached a height in the 16^th century. Islamic art is often characterized by recurrent motifs, such as the use of geometrical floral or vegetal designs in a repetition known as an arabesque. The arabesque in Islamic art is often used to symbolize the transcendent, indivisible, and infinite nature of God.