earticle

영어

Space and time are existential phenomena that constitute the two fundamental planes of existence. The fact that the notion of space is met with the word "mekân", which derives from the root of “kevn” (existence) in Turkish, indicates an important link between space and existence in Ottoman culture. The relationship between space and human beings is twofold. While humans transform the space they live in, space shapes human life. Spaces produced, inherited, or naturally inhabited by humans acquire a semantic field within culture. Therefore, a place may have cultural codes that may seem foreign to outsiders. For the Ottoman culture, which today has no living members and has limited data in terms of social history, these cultural codes can be analyzed by examining literary texts. The perception of space is influenced by and reflects the philosophical and religious background of the culture. In Ottoman culture, existence is not seen as a value. The idea of wahdat/unity, which everything reflects the divine being, is widespread. Accordingly, space acquires an important symbolic indicator function. Every element in the garden has a symbolic meaning. For example, gardens are seen as a copy of "cennet" (paradise), which means a hidden/protected garden and the rose signifies Muhammad, and the tulip signifies the unity of God. The garden also reflects the aesthetic perception of Ottoman culture. A beautiful Ottoman individual is a garden in its entirety, as every part of it resembles a plant. Unorganized wilderness or dilapidated buildings in disrepair are unaesthetic. This situation can be read as indicators of the Ottoman civil-city (medeni-medine) relationship and the patronage relations of Ottoman poetry. Finally, the garden can also mirror social relationships through the personification of plants.