When we look at portrait drawings of Ottoman sultans, we usually see them posing sideways. Moreover, this seems to have continued as a tradition. But this is not limited to just them. It is seen that the kings of the Roman empire also had such statues. The main reason for this is not related to the fact that it looks more aesthetic!
The side posing of the Ottoman sultans, just like the Roman emperors, was an indirect sign of power. But how?
Based on the interview of Febus Efendi, who worked as a photographer for 23 years in the Ottoman palace, it is understood that the sultans were very sensitive about photography.
Ümit Yüksel, who brought the interview to light, included what Febus Efendi said about the palace. He talks about Sultan Abdulhamid’s meticulous behavior while posing, until Sultan Reşat posed quietly and left when he was done.
In particular, Sultan Abdulhamid discovered that photography was a document; He also made a photographic archive of his own. Febus Efendi describes Abdulhamid as follows:
“I have only been invited once in 23 years to photograph him. He was also on a throne of necessity. It was supposed to be a gift decorated with his own picture. Here we took a picture to be put on this engagement. I went to Yıldız Palace that day. I set up my machine in the great hall next to his library. After a while, Hünkar entered. He looked around, then addressed me, ‘Febus Effendi, get ready as you see fit, I’m coming now.’ He left, came back five minutes later. He sat in the chair I prepared and said, ‘Let me know when you shoot’.
Likewise, he conveyed the kindness of other sultans to him in a similar way. What kind of power could the side poses, seen not only in Ottoman sultans but also in Roman emperors, express?
In fact, the nose is the most important factor here. Yes, nose.
The portrait of Fatih Sultan Mehmet made a lot of noise on this subject. While the debates on whether or not his nose is actually like that, we skipped how important a symbol it is to actually show a “nose”.
The arched nose, now the protagonist of plastic surgery, was something that was found in noble people at that time, known as the “Roman nose”. More precisely, we can say that it came across noble people. But people wanted to believe it and accepted the arched nose as a symbol of power.
When viewed from the side, the arched nose resembles an eagle’s beak, a symbol of the Roman Empire.
The eagle, the symbol of the Roman Empire, was a powerful and predatory animal. Naturally, it also represented power. At that time, when viewed from the side, the arched nose was likened to an eagle’s beak. The kings must have attributed the eagle’s power to themselves so that the arched nose became a proud organ.
The Ottoman sultans also wanted to show that they considered themselves superior to the Roman emperors by having a side profile portrait drawn. It’s not that it didn’t work.
We can understand the sultans’ desire to intimidate their characters from a single portrait of them. As if having an arched nose, which was a symbol of power for those times, was not such a bad thing, what do you think?
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