By Yiren Lu, 4th Grade
(2001)
Reading is my favorite thing to do. When I am tired I like
to curl upon the sofa and read books. Stories about knighthood, fairy tales,
novels and poems I read them all. As I sit there I could be whisked away to
the land of dreams. During the period before the bedtime, I love to read.
My favorite subject is history. I can go into the past and explore the ancient
worlds. The Romans, Egyptians, Greeks, Babylonian and Chinese, each ancient
civilization left the marks in the history. From Rames II to Cleopatra, from
Julius Caesar to Marc Anthony, the magic of the books brings them back to
life. Biographies piece together the time and the world of the characters.
The world of reading is a wonderful place to live in. Books of secret doors,
evil queens, brave knights, elegant ladies take me to a different era. Stories
about friendship, courage and the right to stand up for all teach me lessons
of life. Fantasies about the princesses, animals, fairies and dwarfs bring
joy and happiness to me. Tales of wizards, witches and broomsticks and magic
wand add a little charm or terror to my dream. Stories and books can live
forever.
Historical Pursuits
Suleyman the Magnificent and Ottoman Architecture
By Yiren Lu (5th grade)
It was the year 1494. Ottoman banners fluttered in the
breezy air. A flood of excitement rushed through the nation, from capital
Istanbul to the far away corner of the empire. In this year was born one
of the most beloved and brilliant Sultans the Ottomans would ever have. A
great ruler and great person, respected and admired by his subjects, Suleyman
I (1494 – 1566) built an empire far surpassing the ones of his ancestors.
Architecture, literature, Art, Science, it had them all. Known for his intelligence
and justice, Suleyman was recognized by his people as “The Lawgiver”. A strong
Military man, he conquered large territories in Egypt, Syria, Hungary, Mesopotamia,
and the Balkans. He was a great supporter of the arts and wrote poems himself
under the pen name Muhibbi, or “the Affectionate”. Suleyman’s empire contributed
much to the advances in Science and Physics. Architecture also flourished
in that time, and combinations of Byzantine and Islamic styles created the
beautiful domes and turrets that decorated the Ottoman horizon. These are
now the standing tribute to the zenith of the Ottoman Empire. Mosques, palaces,
gardens and statues, appeared anywhere the Ottoman flag waved. These fine
pieces of work provided a chance to look into Suleyman’s fabulous wealth
and taste. To the Ottomans, the era was their Victorian era, or their Elizabethan
era. It was a time of plenty, a time of enjoyments. Suleyman’s reign of 46
years had marked the beginning and end of the golden age of the Ottoman Empire
Though Ottoman Architecture was at their highest point
during Suleyman’s reign, there were still plenty of beautiful buildings of
Islam before him. One of the first monuments to Suleyman’s god, the dome
of the rock in Jerusalem was built in 691 A.D. Assembled on the order
of Abd al-Malik, it was a powerful example of the creativity and originality
of the Muslims. The dome of rock had, just like many other Islamic structures,
the center dome, this time in which enclosed upon the rock where Abraham
was said to have sacrificed his only son, Isaac, to God.
In 762 AD, Abu Jafar al-Mansur laid the first brick to
the many thousands of them that would eventually make the Magnificent Citadel
in the Round. The fabulous palace at Baghdad celebrated the Abbasid Caliph’s
recently victories. However, within 50 years, this proud stronghold would
be in ruins, destroyed by the bloody and bitter civil war that would lead
to the downfall of the Abbasid Dynasty.
One of the more unusual pieces of Ottoman Architecture
was the Tiled Pavilion in Istanbul. Built as early as 1473 AD, it had great
impact on later works. Probably designed by a Persian Architect, it featured
a square shape and an arcaded grand entrance flagged with elaborate adornments.
Decorations on all Ottoman buildings held significant meaning and strength.
The tiles would often have the face of the messiah, or be adorned with fancy
patterns. One of the greatest achievements of Ottoman Architecture was the
domed mosque plan. It developed at around 1400 AD, and after that forever
played a major role in all Islamic buildings. Many of these extraordinary
pieces of art are still standing and if you ever see one, you will have witnessed
an apogee of Ottoman Architecture greatness.
Today, we say Artists are people like Leonardo da Vinci
or Vincent Van Gough. But really, if you think about it, artists aren’t just
people who draw or paint. They are also people who designed and created buildings
that are so dazzle and stunning to the eye that we call them pieces of art.
Sinan was one of these people. Born Mimar Koca Sinan (1492 – 1588) to Greek
Christian parents; he was drafted to the Ottoman royal house in 1512. There,
his skills swiftly took him from cavalry officer to construction officer.
At that capacity, he built bridges, fortifications, and roads. Under the
Sultan’s eyes, Sinan was found to be hardworking, talented and artistic.
He was appointed to the Architect of the Adobe of Felicity in 1538 AD. Sinan
created hundreds of pieces of art. Many of these structures were mosques,
or churches for the Muslim. On the interior, the dome appeared the float
in midair, unsupported. But the actual weight was cleverly transferred to
a series of invisible walls and half domes that surrounded it. Much of these
fabulous works of Islam owed their designs somehow to the great Byzantine
church of Santa Sophia and influenced one and half century of the Renaissance’s
best, most wondrous periods of Architecture. Known to many as the Ottoman
Empire’s finest Architect, Mimar Koca Sinan had left his mark in history.
One by one, the bricks grew, and grew. No, this isn’t
your little brother playing with his legos again. This was the creation of
the spectacular Hagia Sophia, the elaborate Christian church that would inspire
Ottoman buildings for years to come. Built by Justian of the Byzantine Empire,
it set foundation to the golden age of Islamic Architecture. Nestled in the
center of the wealthiest city in the world, Constantinople (later renamed
to be Istanbul), the Hagia Sophia truly demonstrated Byzantine Magnificence.
Gold Mosaics covered its walls and arches formed the grand entrance. It had
stores of jewels in the side room, and the face of the Messiah was carved
into gold. Marble and Granite shined and sparkled in the eastern sun. But
there was more than its splendor that made it so remembered. It was its relationship
and influence to a future generation of Architecture that made it so important.
In 1453, the Byzantine Empire fell to the Ottomans. This event was generally
regarded as a great tragedy by Christians because of the lose of an important
Christian center to Muslims. However, it also triggered a mix and exchange
of cultures and ideas between Christian and Islamic worlds. The design of
Hagia Sophia was widely studied and style copied in many of the Ottoman works.
In fact, the famed Architect Sinan used the Hagia Sophia for the base of
his largest Mosque, the Suleymanie at Istanbul. While the Hagia Sophia was
a Christian church, the Suleymanie at Istanbul was a Muslim place of worship.
But the floor plan was the same, and the purpose was the same: to have a
place for godly devotion.
A strange shape rose in the Ottoman skyline, its features
distinctive and stunning; its golden tip shining in the air. It was a wonder
to look at, so strong, so drawing. The climax piece of Architecture for Mimar
Koca Sinan, it was the work that he put all he had into. His cunning and
his wits were woven into its bricks. An asylum from the mortal world, it
provided a place of the deepest trust and peace. Though neither as large
nor grand as the Santa Sophia and the Hagia Sophia, it simple design bore
the talent and wisdom of the creator. Light bathed the center dome and the
sun’s bright rays flashed against the marble walls. Housing the most precious
book of Islamic laws, called the “Kanun”, it also stored the basis of Suleyman’s
thoughts and ideas. A summer palace for the Sultan’s household, Allah’s home
was also used for the leisure and comfort of non-eternal men. It was a mark
of Suleyman’s faith in god. And the Suleymanie at Edirne; the two had common
bonds. The same dignity, the same pride. But unlike Suleyman, God’s house
never fell.
Suleyman’s reign had marked the beginning and the end
of the Ottoman’s golden age. But this golden age did not only mean advances
in Military, in Science and in Math; it was Architecture that truly excelled
in this era. The domes, the turrets, the towers, these were the things that
find their place in world history. The military advances were now regarded
insignificant 500 years later. The contributions to Science were long forgotten
by most. The Math were revised and corrected. But the Architecture remained
the same. Now we look back into this period of extraordinary Renaissance
of Architecture, we wonder why they were so memorable. It is a mystery in
our mind, maybe forever.
Today, most of us only know the Ottoman Empire as the
“sick man of Europe”, or as an archrival that we feared so much. Although
similar in size at their peak, Ottoman Empire was never like the Roman Empire
in our minds. We admired the Romans although they were as much as war loving
as Ottomans. We never understood the Ottoman Empire to their deeper extent.
We never really knew its other qualities beyond military prowess. The beauty
and sheer power of its Architecture shed light into the other side, much
richer side, of Ottoman Empire. The grace and lavishness of the buildings
seemed to live under the sun. Many of these fabulous pieces of art were destroyed
by war and by pass of time. The precious few that do remain are cherished
and treasured by all. Though the Ottoman Empire is no more, many modern countries
such as Turkey rose from its ash. And where thousands of feet had once stepped,
cars are now jammed, the buildings of the past remains the same. The same
as it was 500 years ago; the same dome and turrets; the same heavenly refuge.
The only thing that was different was the meaning to us. This was no longer
a building to show off to the world. This was a building to preserve and
to acknowledge. The Ottoman Empire may be gone, but its wealth of Architecture
can be passed on, and lived on, through the world today
“Breathtaking” that’s the word I would use to describe
my feelings towards Suleyman the Magnificent and the Ottoman Empire. The
riches, the vast territories, the military might, were all breathtaking.
But Suleyman was remembered not because of what he did, but because of he
was. His domains were shattered. His people no longer existed. One thing
that did remain though was his memory, his brilliant legacy that lived on
after him. I shall choose my words carefully to describe him, so I will use
three words. “Influential”, “Brilliant” and “Breathtaking.” In my opinion,
Suleyman himself was an ordinary person, just special, and chosen to be of
royal birth. It is the blessing that he received to rule so justly and fairly
that stands out. If Suleyman were alive today, I would have to say to him
that he had done well with this blessing. The Ottoman Empire had started
with a few scattered states, and Suleyman had turned them into an Empire
that people five centuries later still respected and remembered. The realm
that had once stretched from Austria to Aden, from the Mediterranean to the
Caspian, “both lord of land and sea”, dwells no more, but it heritage still
lives in our hearts. And Suleyman, “Sultan of Sultans,” Builder of Empire,
Distributor of crowns to the princes of the world, Allah’s light on earth,
had given the world a golden age of the Ottoman Empire.