500th Anniversary of the Death of Sultan Bayezid II: Books, Poets, Artists

500th Anniversary of the Death of Sultan Bayezid II: Books, Poets, Artists

26 May 2012, Saturday
Time: 14.00 
Sakıp Sabancı Museum, Conference Hall

Chairman: Prof. Dr. Mübahat Kütükoğlu
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Çiçekler
Dr. Nenad Filipovic
Prof. Dr. Gülru Necipoğlu
Prof. Dr. Zeren Tanındı

Sakıp Sabancı Museum is commemorating Sultan Bayezid II with a discussion panel on the 500th anniversary of his death.

Some of the many illuminated manuscripts dating from the reign of Bayezid II that have survived to the present day are masterpieces of Ottoman palace art dedicated to this sultan. Others were valuable gifts from rulers in the region.

Sultan Bayezid II established friendly relations with Francesco Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantova, and their envoys exchanged precious gifts. In a letter he wrote to Bayezid II the famous Italian artist, engineer and architect Leonardo da Vinci suggested building floating bridges over the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. Sultan Bayezid invited Da Vinci to construct a bridge over the Golden Horn.

The members of the panel will discuss Sultan Bayezid II's patronage of writers, poets and artists, whom he rewarded generously, his political relations with eastern and western states, and his contributions to the flourishing cultural milieu of his time, which produced major works of literature, art and science. The panel will also introduce a facsimile edition of the poet Efsahî’s odes in praise of Sultan Bayezid, a rare work in the Sakıp Sabancı Museum collection that was produced by palace artists to present to the sultan around 1500.