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This was a journey that left its mark not only on the places the emperor visited but also on people’s minds. Sultan Abdülaziz’s trip to Europe between June 21 and Aug. 7, 1867, was a “first” in Ottoman history. He was the first Ottoman sultan to travel to Europe. The European people were confronted with the true image of an Eastern leader who was admired and watched with curiosity. He was a living example who instantly erased the static and exotic scenes of Orientalist paintings.
Abdülaziz’s trip to Europe was planned on account of the invitation of Emperor Napoleon III of France. The sultan, who was invited to attend the International Paris Exhibition, one of the most prestigious events of the time, responded with great pleasure to this offer, both because of his love of the arts and his desire to see the technological developments of the West up close. This invitation, which caused a great stir in the press, was described in the French-language newspaper “La Turquie,” published in Beyoğlu, as “an event that will change the destiny of the Empire.” For the first time, an Ottoman sultan would travel to the West and make an appearance. This was not only a political but also a cultural upheaval.
What does Paris exhibition represent?
The Industrial Revolution, which brought about major changes, was one of the important factors in the spread and development of the concept of fairs. During this process, with the advancement of technology, there arose a need to showcase new inventions, scientific studies and developed machinery and equipment in a central location, to introduce them on national and international platforms, and to encourage these innovations. In the latter half of the 19th century, a new type of exhibition emerged under the name of World Fairs, with the first one held in London in 1851. Following this, the number of such exhibitions continued to grow, held every few years in Europe and America.
People from every country and nation came to these international exhibitions, as did their goods. The majority of visitors were upper-class and aristocrats with high income levels. The fact that artists and craftsmen brought their works to these exhibitions broadened the horizons of the visitors and led to the development of existing industrial products as well as the emergence of new inventions. Sometimes these exhibitions turned into a show of strength for countries’ inventions, and at other times they served as a large social space where people from different cultures could come together.
The exhibition area established at Champ de Mars is known to have covered 460,000 square meters. This area, which was outside the circle of civilization, a swamp in winter and barren land in summer, became a center of attention for the whole world thanks to careful planning. The Ottoman Empire ranked third after France and England, with 4,946 exhibitors out of 52,200 exhibitors from 32 countries participating in the exhibition. Visitors to the Ottoman pavilion could not hide their astonishment. The majority of the 327 boxes were sent from Egypt. Egyptian cotton, renowned for its quality at the time, was a product of great interest to the entire world. These materials attracted significant attention.
Ottoman wind
This exhibition that Sultan Abdülaziz attended was the fourth exhibition in which the Ottoman Empire participated, and he was invited by Emperor Napoleon III of France as the guest of honor.
At the opening ceremony, in addition to Sultan Abdülaziz, all the important leaders of Europe were present, in particular the Tsar of Russia, the Emperor of Austria and the kings of Belgium, Portugal, Sweden and Prussia. Sultan Abdülaziz departed from the Istanbul pier on June 21, 1867, aboard the Sultaniye ship. Two ships from the French Navy and the British Navy accompanied the sultan. He first stopped at the port of Toulon, then Lyon and finally Paris, where he was personally welcomed by Napoleon.
It is noteworthy that at the 1867 Paris Fair, an oil painting exhibition was held for the first time in an Ottoman pavilion at an international organization, in which a large portrait of Sultan Abdülaziz was featured, too. The exhibition featured paintings by Seker Ahmet Pasha, who was sent to Paris by Abdülaziz in 1864 to study painting, as well as pieces by Osman Hamdi Bey and various foreign painters.
The Ottoman Empire participated in this exhibition in four separate categories: agriculture, industry, handicrafts and fine arts. The best examples of prayer rugs, carpets, kilims and other household items were exhibited at the exhibition. A large portion of these items was purchased by Prince Matilde of the French Imperial family.
The exhibition also featured several architectural structures that represented cultural and social life. The Ottoman Empire pavilions were designed in Istanbul by French architect Parvillee and Levantine architect Barborini. Replicas of the Green Mosque, the Tiled Pavilion, and the Hürrem Sultan Hammam were chosen to represent the Ottoman Empire.
The French Embassy prepared a guide for those from the Ottoman Empire who would be visiting the exhibition. This guide included details such as how to get to the exhibition, where to stay in Paris, what to eat, descriptions of historical and beautiful places to visit, and how to get around and behave. This guide, prepared down to the smallest detail, was printed in 300 copies. Steamship and train companies made agreements to attract visitors to the exhibition. The cost of a first-class ticket from Istanbul to France was 441 francs. Visiting the exhibition was in such high demand that even the tickets for the steamship departing three weeks later were sold out.
Reeceptions in Europe
When the sultan set foot in the French city of Toulon on June 29, he was welcomed with a ceremony. The next day, when he arrived in Paris, the city was adorned with Turkish flags. Even the carpets on which the sultan would walk were specially selected. The Ottoman caliph was walking the streets of Europe, and this was an event in itself for the people. The crowded streets of Paris were filled with thousands of people who had gathered to see him. For centuries, the “sultan” had been the subject of dreams, fairy tales and paintings about the East, whereas now he was no longer a dream, but a reality standing tall before them.
The European people were impressed not only by the dignity of the emperor, but also by his knowledge and interest in art and culture. Abdülaziz’s identity as a painter, his competence in music and especially the fact that he was welcomed with the march he himself composed were so “sophisticated” that they astonished Westerners.
The second stop on this trip was England. The sultan arrived in London on July 11. He was warmly welcomed by Queen Victoria and hosted at Buckingham Palace. The state banquet held at Windsor Castle had a special place in the diplomatic history of the two empires. This trip left important traces not only in politics but also in art, aesthetics and identity.
Sultan Abdülaziz’s interest in art was not limited to visiting museums in Europe. His observations changed the direction of art policies in the Ottoman Empire. The desire to bring court painting, the idea of museums, sculpture and Western-style architecture to Ottoman lands gained momentum during this period. This influence is particularly evident in the decorations, sculptures and paintings of the Beylerbeyi Palace.
Statues of Beylerbeyi Palace
Until the end of the 18th century, there was no mention of statues in Ottoman palaces. The palace, which was completed in 1865, was a summer residence built to host foreign state guests. The palace, which was completed shortly before the European tour, features a balanced blend of Eastern and Western architectural styles.
We know that during his long European trip, Abdülaziz met Pierre Louis Rouillard, whose works were exhibited at the Paris Exhibition and the Louvre. The sultan’s passion for hunting and his admiration for wild animals are well known. It is a known fact that he had deer enclosures and lion houses built in the gardens of the Çırağan and Beylerbeyi Palaces.
Rouillard, who mostly created animal sculptures, is famous for being an animal sculptor. This is because his understanding of sculpture and what he desired in a sculpture was to reflect the anatomy of animals in all its reality. The sultan’s tastes, which coincided with Rouillard’s in this regard, transformed the Beylerbeyi Palace into an open-air museum. During the Paris Exhibition, the sultan commissioned 24 sculptures for the palace from the sculptor and his team he met there, including 12 bronze sculptures, 10 marble sculptures, eight bronze vases and two marble friezes. Among these sculptures is also his own bust: the first and life-size bust of an Ottoman sultan ever commissioned. The sculpture was created by the English sculptor Charles Fuller at the sultan’s request. Fuller completed the sculpture in Florence and had the bronze casting done in Munich. It is currently housed in the Topkapı Palace Museum.
“Roaring Bull,” “Listening Deer,” “Deer in Despair,” “Deer Nursing Its Baby,” “Female Lion Gathering Its Cubs,” “Resting Lion Statues,” “Lion Holding a Ball,” “Lions Lying in Wait on the Rocks,” “Female Tiger,” “Walking Tiger” and “Lion on a Crocodile” are at their original location, the Beylerbeyi Palace. One of the remaining sculptures is in the garden of Yıldız Palace, and the other three are in the garden of Dolmabahçe Palace. There is also a sculpture called “The Rearing Horse of Freedom,” which is located in the garden of the Sabancı Museum. And the “Butting Bulls” sculpture, known to almost all Istanbulites, has become a symbol of Kadıköy, Istanbul. The statue, which has “Paris 1864” written on its base, was exhibited at the Paris Fair and caught the sultan’s attention. It is perhaps the main figure in the origin of the palace statues that are the subject of this article. After being moved to different locations for a long time, it was placed in Altıyol Square in 1987.
Today, walking among these sculptures in the garden of the Beylerbeyi Palace means finding yourself in a space where time and art intertwine. Along with the cool breeze of the Bosporus and the summery atmosphere of the palace, the artistic details hidden among the marble also greet you. The palace is not only an architectural fusion of East and West but also a mental one. At the same time, you see the spirit of an era, the vision of an empire and the subtle transition between past and future. Walking among the statues, gliding between the columns where Empress Eugenie of France, King Nikola of Montenegro and Shah Naser al-Din of Iran once walked, may evoke the same sense of wonder that Europeans felt when they saw Abdülaziz.
These days, the palace, which is open until 10 p.m. with the summer schedule, takes on a completely different beauty in the light of the sunset.