ANAMED 2015–2016 Fellow Alex Rodriguez Suarez writes about his research on bell-ringing in the Byzantine Empire. Linking his research to ANAMED’s new exhibition ‘Everyday Sounds: Exploring Sound Through Daily Life’, he asks, ‘How can everyday sounds be part of the history or the heritage of a city?’
Because my research focuses on bell-ringing in the Byzantine Empire, the fellows at the ANAMED have labeled me “the bell guy”. To be honest, a few years ago I would never have imagined that I would end up working on such a topic. Nonetheless, there is a problem. The study of bell-ringing is mainly based on bells, percussion instruments usually made of bronze, and bell-towers, the buildings where bells were hung and rung.
Unfortunately, almost all bells and bell-towers from the Byzantine period in Istanbul have vanished. In fact, there is only one bell-tower standing. The structure was built for the church of San Domenico (today Arap Camii), a Gothic church completed in 1325 and located in Galata, the Genoese quarter of the Byzantine capital. Today it functions as a minaret. Likewise, there seems to be only one surviving bell – at least so far! – dating from the period before the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans (1453). This bell, most likely of Genoese production, is on display at the Istanbul Archaeological Museums (Istanbul Through The Ages gallery, no. 5127) and apparently comes from the Turris Sancti Crucis, a.k.a. Galata Tower, a fourteenth-century construction and the most imposing part of the walls surrounding the Genoese settlement. If this is the case, this bell did not have a religious function because this famous structure, today a major tourist attraction in Beyoğlu, was not the bell-tower of a church or a monastic complex.
How can one study Byzantine bell-ringing with such scanty material remains? Luckily, bell-ringing is more than bells and towers. At the ANAMED, I have realized that bell-ringing is not simply about material culture; bell-ringing is also about how people experienced soundscapes (bell chimes), and even sights (towers). In Istanbul I have discovered that soundscapes and, senses in general, have been in the academic spotlight for some time, and as the new exhibition at the ANAMED – Günlük Sesler / Everyday Sounds – demonstrates, this intangible heritage has become more trendy, with scholars taking it more seriously.
Yes, all this research about experiencing is often criticized for its abstraction and immateriality. How can everyday sounds be part of the history or the heritage of a city? Perhaps the reason why we may be reluctant to accept soundscapes as a serious topic of research is their everyday dimension. Too many times when we study past empires and civilizations we tend to focus on their grand achievements. We display their treasures in museums so we can admire their skills and beauty standards. Also, we translate their documents in order to understand their ideas and beliefs. We usually forget less impressive aspects of the past; for instance, everyday sounds. This is not surprising because today we barely pay attention to these sounds; we know their meanings and we take them for granted; we even find them annoying at certain times. The muezzin's call, the tolling of bells, the horn of the tram along Istiklal, the screams of the lottery seller and the street performers’ music.
The study of these past soundscapes should then begin by raising awareness about the soundscapes that surround us today. The new exhibition at the ANAMED will indeed contribute to this aim. Hopefully the visitors will make an effort to listen and will understand the concept behind the different installations, it certainly requires patience and insight. Going back to my research on bell-ringing, it is possible that my project may in the end yield very humble results; however, by learning about this sensory approach to history and heritage, I can already say that I have grown as a scholar.
10. Uluslararası ANAMED Yıllık Sempozyumu Devşirme Malzemenin Yeniden Doğuşu Üzerine İzlenimler
Chiara Bordino, ANAMED 2013–2014 Bursiyeri
Ivana Jevtic ve Suzan Yalman tarafından düzenlenen ve 5-6 Aralık 2015 günlerinde gerçekleşen Devşirme Malzemenin Yeniden Doğuşu: Antikçağ’dan Osmanlı’ya Anadolu’da Mekânların, Materyallerin ve Objelerin İkinci Yaşamı başlıklı 10. Uluslararası ANAMED Yıllık Sempozyumu, Anadolu Çalışmaları’nda geniş bir kapsamı olan, antikçağdan Osmanlı’ya spolia ve çeşitli materyallerin ve eserlerin yeniden kullanımı konusunu ele almak ve tartışmak için çok değerli bir fırsat sundu. Sempozyum, dünyanın dört köşesinden, konularında öncü akademisyenler ve ANAMED eski bursiyerlerinin katılımıyla, konuşmacıların sunduğu konularda derinlemesine tartışmalara olanak tanıdı.
Anıtların “biyografi”leri üzerine: Profesör Finbarr Barry Flood, spolia kavramının daha iyi anlaşılabilmesi için anıtların ve sanat eserlerinin “biyografileri”ne de bakılması gerektiğine vurgu yaptı. Gerçekten de her bir anıt veya obje bir palimpsest olarak, başka bir deyişle zaman içinde geçirdiği pek çok dönüşüm katmanlarının bir bileşimi olarak düşünülebilir.
Spolia terimi ve kavramı üzerine: Inge Uytterhoeven, eski çağlardan imparatorluğa Latince kaynaklara bakarak spolia teriminin bir excursus’unu sundu. İlk çıktığı zamanlarda bu terimin, savaş ganimetlerine işaret eden askeri bir anlamı vardı, daha sonra terimin anlamı genişleyerek sanat eserleriyle yapı materyallerini de kapsar oldu.
Estetik spolia kavramının kökenleri üzerine: Philipp Niewöhner, erken dönem Ortaçağ’da Batı’da ve Doğu Bizans’taki anıtlara dikkat çekti. Niewöhner’in görüşüne göre, erken dönem Hıristiyan Batı dünyasında sütun başları ile yapı materyallerinin yeniden kullanımı pratik nedenlerle ortaya çıkmıştı. Buna mukabil Doğu coğrafyalarında bu pratiğin temel olarak estetik işlevleri vardı ve bu işlevlerin bazıları geç antik dönem sivil anıtlarda da görülmeye başlamıştı.
Bazı spolia örnekleri: Elif Keser Kayaalp, ikisi de 12. yüzyıla tarihlenen Diyarbakır (eski Amid) ve Silvan (eski Mayyafariqin) camilerinde erken dönem Bizans spolia’sının kullanımını inceledi. Livia Bevilacqua, 13. yüzyıl Bizans Nicaea İmparatorluğu’nda spolia kullanımıyla II. Frederick Hohenstaufen’in sarayında spolia kullanımı arasında karşılaştırmalı bir çözümleme önerisi sundu. Scott Redford, Anadolu’da Selçuklular dönemiyle diğer Doğu bölgelerinde bazı dikkat çekici spolia örneklerini ele aldı.
Anadolu’da yeniden kullanım biçimleri ve gerekçeleri üzerine: Suna Çağaptay, farklı kültürlerde ve ortamlarda (Selçuklular, Artuklular, Bizanslılar, Sicilya Normanları, Fatimiler) iki kafalı kartalın kullanımına odaklandı. Maria Kiprovska, erken Osmanlı döneminde yaşamış aristokrat bir aile olan Mihalgullariler’in bazı sınır bölgelerinde mimari himaye örneklerini inceledi. Tuğba Tayneri Erdemir, Bizans sonrası dönemde, Osmanlıların fethinden günümüze Anadolu’da Bizans kiliselerinin yaşamlarını çözümledi.
Bizans ve Osmanlı İstanbul’unda spolia ve yeniden kullanım pratikleri üzerine: Alessandra Guiglia ve Claudia Barsanti, Aya Sofya’da görülen bazı yeniden kullanım örneklerini ele aldılar. Nicholas Melvani, Palaiologan Konstantinopolis’inde erken dönem Bizans sütun başları ve heykel parçalarının yeniden kullanımlarını tartıştı. Ünver Rüstem, İstanbul’da on sekizinci yüzyıl Osmanlı mimarisinde (Osmanlı baroku) Bizans mirası ile Batı modalarının kombinasyonu konusunu inceledi.
Hareketli objeler ve spolia olarak yeniden kullanımı üzerine: Konstantina Karterouli, 13. yüzyılda Veneto (kuzeydoğu İtalya) bölgesi ile Rhine bölgesinde Bizans ve Bizanslaşmış sanat eserlerinin yeniden kullanımını ele aldı. Elena Papastavrou ve Nikolas Vryzidis, Osmanlı’da Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi’nde litürjik amaçlı tekstil materyallerinin yeniden kullanımını çözümledi. Pagona Papadopoulou, geç antik ve Ortaçağ sikkelerinin yeniden kullanımına yönelik edebi ve arkeolojik kanıtlar sundu.
Geri kullanım fenomeninin ardında yatan üç ana neden üzerine: Profesör Magdalino, spolia’nın ortaya çıkmasıyla ilgili üç temel açıklamayı vurguladı: İşlevsel nedenler (yapı materyallerinin pratik nedenlerle kullanımı); estetik nedenler (spoila’nın dekoratif ve estetik amaçlarla yeniden kullanımı); ve entelektüel ve ideolojik nedenler (spoila’nın dinsel ve siyasal mesajların aktarımında yeniden kullanımı).
On Byzantium and the recently inaugurated Byzantine studies centers
ANAMED 2015-16 Fellow Buket Kitapçı Bayrı interviews Prof. Engin Akyürek, the director of Koç University Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, and with Prof. Nevra Necipoğlu, the director of the Byzantine Studies Research Center at Boğaziçi University. Here is Kitapçı Bayrı’s introduction to her interview...
Byzantium lasted 1100 years, and its capital Constantinople (modern İstanbul) and the majority of its core territory are within the frontiers of modern Turkey. Although the Byzantine studies centers in countries like Australia, which has geographically and historically no direct connection with Byzantium, have long been active and dynamic, it was only last month that two Byzantine studies centers were inaugurated in Turkey: Koç University Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for Late Antique and Byzantine Studies and Boğaziçi University Byzantine Studies Research Center.
I personally have close connections with both of these universities that have contributed to my formation as a Byzantine historian. It was at Boğaziçi University that I was initiated to Byzantine studies by Prof. Nevra Necipoğlu, who would also be my PhD co-advisor. Koç University, on the other hand, through its Research Center for Anatolian Studies, supported my dissertation research on Byzantine history in the academic year 2007-2008, and at present, I am a senior fellow of the same institution, preparing a monograph on late Byzantine identity.
Below is the link to the interview that I conducted with Prof. Engin Akyürek, the director of Koç University Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, and with Prof. Nevra Necipoğlu, the director of the Byzantine Studies Research Center at Boğaziçi University, at MedyascopeTV, a newly founded web media platform, on 18 December 2015. This interview on Byzantium and on the recently inaugurated Byzantine studies centers is my personal contribution to the initiatives and efforts for creating a well-informed public awareness of Byzantine civilization in Turkey.
During this discussion, we have elaborated on topics such as the importance of studying and understanding Byzantine civilization for the people living in modern Turkey, the development of Byzantine studies in the Turkish Republic, problems related with the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage and Byzantine monuments in Turkey, as well as the present and future activities of these newly founded Byzantine research centers.
“This summer Skepta embarked on a sold out tour of East Coast America & Canada, culminating in a performance alongside Drake at the OVO fest in Toronto. Noisey were there throughout the trip to document this milestone in his career. What happened was very spiritual and very crunchy.”
Respect to Skepta for his contribution to UK music from then (Sweet Mother will always bang...get me) to now , dude shutdown the year in March! bigmanting.
Lskins - The Brainstorming Project (Artwork + Tracklist)
While still surrounded by the buzz off of ‘Must Be The Drugs’, Lskins is keeping up the momentum with more material in the form of an EP - set for release tomorrow.
Keep it locked & Follow Lskins on soundcloud for the drop.
Ace face-fucked the world yesterday with the launch of his Golf Media app, alongside 2 new songs + the announcement of his new album “CHERRY BOMB” which is coming 13th April.
But that ain’t it…here’s his latest (wavy as fuck) visual for Fucking Young/Death Camp!
