Ottoman Fabrics During the 18th and 19th Centuries

This article introduces the general characteristics of the fabrics produced at the Ottoman court in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in order to show the changing tastes when the Ottoman Empire was culturally opening to Europe. At the beginning of the 16th century, fabrics that were used to make sultans ’ costumes were produced at the special court workshops of the palace by skilled masters (ehl-i hiref). The designs for the fabrics used for court apparel were created by court designers known as hassa nakkaşları and the fabrics for court apparel were woven by the court weavers known as hassa dokumacıları. A plan showing a weavers ’ workshop in the palace which is kept today in the Topkapı Palace Archive is attributed to the court weavers.2 Because the palace workshops were unable to meet the demand, orders were also given to workshops in Istanbul and Bursa. In addition fabric was imported from the renowned weaving centers in Italy, such as Venice, Genoa and Florence. The most striking feature of women’s fashions at the Ottoman court in the 18th and 19th centuries was the assimilation of European models. This process of Westernization was first seen in military clothing, and only a short time later did the trend spread to women’s and children’s fashions at court, as well as to male civilian dresses. Evidence for this major shift comes from visual contemporar