Aesthetic Analysis as a Methodology for Interpreting Islamic Art and Architecture: An Ottoman Case Study from Topkapı Palace

Abstract

This article advances aesthetic analysis as a methodological framework for interpreting Islamic architecture and demonstrates its analytical potential through an Ottoman case study from Topkapı Palace. While Islamic architecture has often been examined through stylistic, historical, or symbolic approaches,  methodological processes through which meaning emerges from architectural form remain insufficiently articulated. Drawing on aesthetic philosophy and artwork-centered approaches to interpretation, the study proposes a three-stage analytical framework consisting of the description of formal features, the identification of aesthetic predicates, and conceptual interpretation. The framework is applied to the Privy Room of Murad III in Topkapı Palace, one of the most prominent interiors of the Ottoman imperial residence. Through a close examination of spatial organization, ornamental surfaces, and calligraphic program of the room, the study identifies aesthetic qualities such as unity, stylization and repetition. Interpreted within the conceptual horizon of Islamic aesthetics, these qualities illuminate how architectural form mediates symbolic and spiritual meanings within the Ottoman palace environment. By combining methodological reflection with the aesthetic analysis of an Ottoman architectural interior, the article proposes a systematic approach to interpreting Islamic architecture while offering a new perspective on the aesthetic structure of one of the most sophisticated spaces of the Ottoman court.