Efemerada Ebediyetin Temsili: Osmanlı Dönemi Kartpostallarında Mezarlık ve Türbeler

Abstract

This paper deals with the visual reflections of cemeteries, graveyards, and tombs in different parts of the empire and the culture developed accordingly through the postcards printed in the Ottoman period. Along with miniatures, gravures, paintings, and photographs, postcards are at the top of the list of the resources that contribute the most to the empire’s visual accumulation. In the last quarter of the 19th century, especially with the influence of developments in photography and printing techniques, postcards started to spread all over the world, including the Ottoman Empire. Postcards have various functions besides serving as a means of communication in their one-and-a-half-century history. Due to the diversity of their intended purpose and the texts and images they contain, postcards became documents with a source value over time. As a result of the understanding of the value of postcards, they were first collected by museums, libraries, archives, and collectors and then became the subject of academic studies. Literature made up of books, articles, and theses on postcards has emerged in Turkey, particularly in the last 20 to 30 years. These works usually focus on issues such as settlements (Istanbul, Jerusalem, Izmir, Thessaloniki, Beykoz, Fatih), wars (Balkan Wars, Gallipoli Campaign), political incidents (Constitutional monarchy), minorities (Jews, Armenians), postcard editors, architecture, and women. Our work, on the other hand, bears the significance of presenting new data on the visual history of Ottoman cemeteries by discussing burial places and death culture in postcards that allow different interpretations. The research aims to point out the contributions of postcards, one of the ephemera types, as sources for information on subjects such as history and art history because postcards convey various subjects such as daily life, natural disasters, wars, political events, conflicts, and official, national and religious ceremonies to the masses. Besides, it offers rich content about the panorama, silhouette, architecture, people, professions, clothing, and means of transportation of the period. Cemeteries, graveyards, war graves, and tombs appear as one of the themes featured in a significant number of postcards during the Ottoman period. Another aim of the research is to expose the visual accumulation that shapes graveyard and death culture. Our research examines around 350 original postcards with the theme of cemeteries and tombs printed in the Ottoman period. As a result of the study, although the cemeteries and tombs of many cities are included in postcards, it is seen that they specifically focus on Istanbul, Bursa, Izmir, and Thessaloniki. Postcards were printed both in the empire and abroad (Germany, France). The editors of the postcards were either from minorities (Greek, Armenian, Jewish) or foreigners. They have images of some cemeteries and tombs that have not survived. Not only Muslim cemeteries but Christian and Jewish cemeteries, even the cemeteries of foreign soldiers buried in our country during the wars and occupations, were also used in the postcards. Cemetery postcards served as a means of communication and propagandist and orientalist agendas. In terms of burial culture, it has been confirmed that postcards included funeral rites, cemetery visits, votive offerings, and scenes from daily life.