Arts Society Betchworth: October Lecture

Do come for a richly illustrated talk. If you are not a member (we are recruiting new members now) do come as a visitor to the hall. Just pay £10 at the door. You will be warmly welcomed.

Topkapi Palace in Istanbul stands as the definitive, stone-carved manifestation of Ottoman state philosophy, serving as the primary imperial residence and administrative nerve centre for nearly 400 years (from the 1460s to 1853).

Commissioned by Sultan Mehmed II after the 1453 conquest of Constantinople, the complex was designed not as a single massive building, but as a series of four courtyards and functional, interconnected structures that reflected the power, privacy, and religious authority of the Ottoman Sultans.

Our lecturer Dr Antonia Gatward Cevizli is an independent art historian specialising in both Italian Renaissance art and Ottoman art. She gained her PhD from the University of Warwick. Her publications focus on cultural and diplomatic exchange between the Italian city-states and the Ottomans. Antonia has lectured for a number of institutions including Sabanci University, Istanbul; Sotheby’s Institute of Art; the National Gallery; the V&A Academy and The Courtauld summer school. Her interests are wide-ranging and she also worked across the collections of both Tate Modern and Tate Britain as a professional guide. She has lived in Siena, Venice and Istanbul.

Contact us at info@asbetchworth.co.uk

www.theartssocietybetchworth.org.uk