An Evaluation of the Perception of Antiquities in the Ottoman Empire: The Discourse of Indifference and Forced Transformation

This article examines the historical context and conceptual framework of the Ottoman Empire’s approach to antiquities, which has often been assessed through the lens of modern notions of cultural heritage. The relatively late emergence of interest in antiquities and the delayed institutionalization of preservation practices in the Ottoman context have frequently been interpreted as a lack of concern. However, Ottoman engagement with ancient remains was shaped by a distinct set of political, cultural, and epistemological priorities, including conquest-oriented state practices, Islamic aesthetic and ontological references, and the limited significance attributed to antiquity as a source of political legitimacy. Within this framework, ancient structures were not primarily perceived as heritage objects requiring preservation, but rather as functional spaces, endowment properties, or moral reminders. Drawing on both secondary literature and selected Ottoman archival documents, the article argues that the establishment of museums and the development of antiquities legislation in the nineteenth century should be understood less as the outcome of an internalized heritage consciousness than as a response to the Ottoman Empire’s compelled adaptation to diplomatic, legal, and cultural competition with European powers. Accordingly, the institutionalization of interest in antiquities emerges as a component of forced modernization aimed at safeguarding sovereignty, territorial authority, and international legitimacy.