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Konak (residence)

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Konak

Konak (Turkish: konak, Greek: κονάκι, Serbian: конак, Albanian: Konaku, Bulgarian: конак) is a name for a house in Turkey and on the territories of the former Ottoman Empire, especially one used as an official residence for the elite members of the Ottoman society.[1]

Characteristics

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The konak, a transnational Ottoman architectural style, was commonly referred to as a “Turkish house” in Europe, though it was not inherently tied to any single nation or religion in the Ottoman Empire.[2] In the Ottoman Empire, konaks were prominent urban mansions, especially in Istanbul, which was considered home to the finest examples.[2] After the empire’s fall, various nations rebranded konaks as part of their national heritage, often erasing their Ottoman roots.[2] In Turkey, konaks were integrated into the national identity, while in places like Greece, their Ottoman elements were reinterpreted as Byzantine or Hellenic.[2] Architect Le Corbusier admired Istanbul’s konaks, viewing them as exemplary during his 1911 travels.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Borić, Tijana S. (2022). "The Obrenović Princely Court in Požarevac". Zbornik radova Filozofskog fakulteta u Prištini. 52 (1). Faculty of Philosophy, University of Priština (North Mitrovica): 255–268. doi:10.5937/zrffp52-33442.
  2. ^ a b c d e Alexandre Saden; Hande Sever (2020). "Corbusian Monumentality: The Legacy of the Konak from Vernacular System to Modernist Monument". Getty Research Journal (12): 49–72. doi:10.1086/708315.