From a School of Medicine to the Mecidiye Barracks (Taşkışla); Desing Concersion and Building Process (1846 - 1853)

After the Tanzimat Proclamation, the Ottoman architectural landscape saw an increase in Western influence, much like many other fields. This period referred to as Westernization/Modernization, provided European architects ample opportunities to design a multitude of new building types and typologies for administration, education, health, barracks, and public order in the capital city of Istanbul. These designs were created in harmony with the European Neo-classical doctrine. Moreover, Ottoman architecture quickly adopted modern building materials produced by the Western industry, along with masonry construction technologies developed using these materials. Mecidiye Barracks, which was produced as a modernization project in the capital city of Istanbul in an effort for Westernization, was designed in Neo-classical style by the British architect Smith in 1846 as a medical school under the name Mekteb-i Fûnun-i Tıbbiye upon the request of Sultan Abdülmecid, but it was decided to convert the building into a barracks during the construction process. The research aims to reveal the construction process of Mecidiye Barracks (1846-1853) by interpreting it within the historical and social context of the period. To gather comprehensive information on the Mekteb-i Tıbbiye building, one of the oldest archival materials related to the construction, including its location, architect, and function, researchers transliterated and transcribed the original layout plan and construction books. This allowed for detailed insights into the building's initial design, construction decisions, materials used, and construction technology, as well as its transformation into a barracks plan. The study also explores how changes in the architectural environment during the Tanzimat period, such as new approaches, practices, actors, and building materials, including the use of masonry construction technologies, influenced the construction process of the Mecidiye Barracks. The significance of the building's construction process during the period it was designed is highlighted in the context of the era.