The Cihanoğlu family is a

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

family that established dominance around

Aydın Aydın ( ''EYE-din''; ; formerly named ''Güzelhisar'', Ancient and Modern Greek: Τράλλεις /''Tralleis''/) is a city in and the seat of Aydın Province in Turkey's Aegean Region. The city is located at the heart of the lower valley of B ...

in the 18th century, when the central government weakened and regional feudal lordships came to the fore in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. The name translates as "son of Cihan".

History

The Cihanoğlu were a powerful and wealthy ''

derebey A derebey ( tr, valley lord) was a feudal lord in Anatolia and the Pontic areas of Lazistan and Adjara in the 18th century, with considerable independence from the central government of the Ottoman Empire. Derebeys were required to provide militar ...

'' family that dominated the Aydın Güzelhisarı and Koçarlı regions in the 18th and 19th centuries. Aydin Cihanzade mosque Ablutions fountain 032

The family traces its origin to Mehmet Bey. Returning from the siege of Rhodes,

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I ( ota, سليمان اول, Süleyman-ı Evvel; tr, I. Süleyman; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver ( ota, قانونى سلطان سليمان, Ḳ� ...

passed with his army through this area, which was inhabited by a Turkish tribe numbering about 250 people. They were hospital to Suleiman and he allowed them to build a fortification there. Mehmet Bey, a member of the local tribe who had fought with Suleiman, produced a son, who was named Cihan, the founder of the family of the Cihanoğlu (i.e. "the sons of Cihan). The family made important contributions to the Ottoman architectural landscape. An important feature that draws attention as a hallmark in the family's 18th century works is that they pioneered Turkish baroque architecture. Indeed, the baroque style, which would become a part of the architectural landscape with the works of the

Balyan family The Balyan family ( hy, Պալեաններ; tr, Balyan ailesi or ''Palyan ailesi'') was a prominent Armenian family in the Ottoman Empire consisting of court architects in the service of Ottoman sultans and other members of the Ottoman dynast ...

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

only 70–80 years later, in the mid- 19th century, was applied in Aydın by the Cihanoğlu long before. They are credited with the introduction in Anatolia of the new Ottoman taste of art (infused with Western influences, especially from

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

and

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

). They built the Tower of Koçarlι in Koçarlι in the early 1760s, one of three towers of the

Aydın Province Aydın Province ( tr, ) is a province of southwestern Turkey, located in the Aegean Region. The provincial capital is the city of Aydın which has a population of almost 200,000 (2012). Other towns in the province include the summer seaside re ...

. They did so to protect their interests in the area. They built Cincin Castle (built by Abdul Aziz Cihanoğlu in the 18th century), in Turkish ''Cincin Kalesi'', in the village of the same name. They built the Cihanoğlu Mosque. The structure, called Cihanoğlu Complex, consists of the mosque, a madrasa, a tomb-sabil and a fountain. It was built in 1756–57, and is considered one of the brightest examples of Ottoman baroque. They commissioned two mosques in Cincin. One has a ''mihrab'' closely resembling

Guarino Guarini Camillo Guarino Guarini (17 January 1624 – 6 March 1683) was an Italian architect of the Piedmontese Baroque, active in Turin as well as Sicily, France, and Portugal. He was a Theatine priest, mathematician, and writer.. Biography Guarini wa ...

's '' Altar of San Lorenzo''. One of the mosques they built has a mihrab encircled by spiral columns in

Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, , ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 159828 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor of his ...

's style.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cihanoğlu Family Families from the Ottoman Empire Turks from the Ottoman Empire 16th-century people from the Ottoman Empire