From a Book on Architecture to a Book of Pleasure: Caʿfer Efendi’s Risāle-i Miʿmāriyye, 1614

Abstract

In this article, I will discuss some selected sections from the Risāle to explore the ethical, social, and intellectual motivations that led a scholar, Caʿfer Efendi to write a book on architecture and the life of the chief architect Mehmed Agha. First, I will discuss the audience of the Risāle both according to its author Caʿfer, a member of the learned class, and his benefactor Mehmed Agha who supported its writing. Second, I will explore how Caʿfer tried to underline the social and ethical role of the architect and architecture in his book for his scholarly audience. Following, the article will look at the perception of architecture as a means for wisdom and knowledge, which justified its higher status within the hierarchy of sciences eventually facilitating a scholar to write a book on this specific topic. Finally, I will argue how an architectural book was not only offered as a book of pleasure for the readers, but also became a part of the Ottoman gift culture, evoking the perception of architecture as a gift to the society.