Birds’ Palaces in Turkey
The Birds Palaces in Turkey were built on the walls of buildings dating back to the Ottoman period, as a symbol of architectural elegance and kindness to animals.
The Ottoman architects used to decorate buildings during their reign, such as palaces, mosques, cemeteries, lodges and water fountains with nests for birds in the form of palaces.
They paid great attention to birds; where they used to design different forms of their nests they built on the walls of homes at the time, to paint beautiful paintings that constitute the highest meanings of humanity, beauty and animal kindness.
The bird palaces or nests that were built using bricks and stones in Turkey during the Ottoman era after the 16th century AD attracted the interest of visitors to Istanbul, especially and the various provinces.
During the Ottoman era, Islamic civilization reached advanced stages that included architectural works, while trade, art, law, military and human development contributed to raising the standard of life of individuals and upholding spiritual values.
“Gharbakhana Lalkan” Bird Foundation
The Ottoman civilization established “Gharbakhana Laklan”, a medical institution for the care of birds, with great respect for it, as this was reflected in the respect and kindness of its architectural works.
Ottoman engineers were keen to provide the walls of important buildings with nests or palaces for birds, symbolizing the important location of these birds in the Ottoman culture, which raises the values of welfare to animals and living creatures.
The bird palaces, which are still present in particular in the major cities of Turkey, especially Istanbul, attracted attention as an important legacy of culture in the Ottoman era, with its architectural and human aspects.
These houses or nests were built using wood, stone, or bricks, and were installed in special places on historical buildings, which were not exposed to wind gusts and sunshine.
Examples of bird nests in Istanbul include those on the Museum of Sultan Mustafa III, the Sultan Mosque in Uskudar, and the Karamustafa Pasha Schools.
It also decorated the schools of Syed Hassan Pasha, Ragheb Pasha, the school and library of Sultan Mahmud I, the new Amin Ono mosques, Ayyub Sultan and Bali Pasha.
The Birds and The Turks
It is not possible to count the numbers of birds of all species for which the Turks show their sympathy and respect.
Mosques, orchards, old walls, gardens and palaces echo with the chanting and sounds of birds, which can be heard in every corner of those buildings.
For the Turks, each of these birds has a special significance and a gentle meaning in their cultural understanding. And feed it with gratitude and love, to draw close to God.