The Cihanoğlu family is a Turkish family that established dominance around

Aydın Aydın ( ''EYE-din''; ; formerly named ''Güzelhisar; Greek: Τράλλεις)'' 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 Büyük Menderes River (ancient ...

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

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. The name translates as "son of Cihan".

History

The Cihanoğlu were a powerful and wealthy ''

derebey A derebey () was a feudalism, feudal lord in Anatolia and the Black Sea, 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 m ...

'' 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 (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...

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 (; ) was a prominent Armenians, Armenian family in the Ottoman Empire of court architects in the service of List of Sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultans and other members of the Ottoman dynasty during the 18th and 1 ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

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 Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

and

Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

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

Aydın Province Aydın Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality of southwestern Turkey, located in the Aegean Region. Its area is 8,116 km2, and its population is 1,148,241 (2022). T ...

. 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 16246 March 1683) was an Italian architect of the Piedmontese Baroque architecture, Baroque, active in Turin as well as Sicily, Kingdom of France, France and Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal. He was a Theatines, ...

'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 1598 – 28 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor ...

's style.

References

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