Representation(s) of Topkapı Palace

Abstract

This thesis is based on a critical analysis of the problem of representation based on Platonic Idealism. Historically, this problem has been closely tied to the problematic opposition between notions of original and copy. In this study the assumptions behind this binary opposition and the existence of a reality that is accessible other than by its own representations are deconstructed. The notion of simulacrum is introduced to counter the original/copy argument in relation to the contemporary culture of consumerism. Within this theoretical framework the Topkapi Palace Hotel in Antalya is taken as a case study. Representations of Topkapi Palace preceding the hotel are analyzed including Ottoman miniatures, Orientalist paintings/gravures and the Topkapi Palace Museum. The basic premise of the thesis is that the notion of simulation destabilizes the model/copy binary which has significant repercussions in contemporary architectural discourse and practice.