Vedat Tek
Encyclopedia
Mehmet Vedat Tek was a notable Turkish
architect
, who has been one of the leading figures of the First Turkish National Architecture Movement.
origin, he was born in Istanbul
to the governor
of Baghdad Province Giritli Sırrı Pasha
and composer Leyla Saz
as their second son. His older brother was Yusuf Razi Bel (1870–1947), who later became an engineer.
After finishing Galatasaray High School in Istanbul, he was sent to France
for higher education. He attended Académie Julian
for studies in painting and then studied at the École Centrale Paris
graduating with a degree in civil engineering before he got his further education in architecture at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris
. He became so the first formally educated Turkish architect.
After returning home in 1897, Vedat Tek contributed with his projects to the forming of the first Turkish national architecture movement along with Mimar Kemaleddin Bey
. He served awhile as the chief architect of the Engineering Corps at the Ministry of War. Later, Sultan Mehmet V appointed him chief court architect.
He also gave lectures at Sanayi-i Nefise Mekteb-i (former Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts
) and Mühendis Mekteb-i Alisi (former Istanbul Technical University
). Vedat Tek was one of the first Turkish lecturers at the Academy of Fine Arts.
He married to Firdevs. From this marriage, he had three daughters.
Vedat Tek died in 1942 and was laid to rest at the Edirnekapı Martyr's Cemetery
in Istanbul.
The First National Architecture was characterized by the creation of entirely new designs with elements taken off the Seljuk and Ottoman architecture. The buildings all over the country designed in that style had a sweeping overhanging roof, tiled panels on the façade, large arched windows and jutting semi-circular ornaments in common.
Vedat Tek was known for his colorful and ornate style in architecture.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, who has been one of the leading figures of the First Turkish National Architecture Movement.
Early life and career
Being of Cretan TurkishCretan Turks
The Cretan Turks, Turco-Cretans , or Cretan Muslims were the Muslim inhabitants of Crete and now their descendants, who settled principally in Turkey, the Levant, and Egypt as well as in the larger Turkish diaspora.After the Ottoman conquest of Crete...
origin, he was born in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
to the governor
Wali
Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...
of Baghdad Province Giritli Sırrı Pasha
Giritli Sirri Pasha
Giritli Sırrı Pasha was a 19th century Ottoman administrator and man of letters of Turkish Cretan origin.He was born in 1844 in Kandiye, Crete, Ottoman Empire as the son of Helvacızade Salih Tosun Efendi...
and composer Leyla Saz
Leyla Saz
Leyla Saz, also called Leyla Hanimefendi in her time, was a Turkish composer, poet and writer.Born in 1850 in Istanbul to a family of Ottoman aristocrats of Cretan Turkish origins, she was the daughter of İsmail Hakkı Pasha, Leyla Saz, also called Leyla Hanimefendi in her time, was a Turkish...
as their second son. His older brother was Yusuf Razi Bel (1870–1947), who later became an engineer.
After finishing Galatasaray High School in Istanbul, he was sent to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
for higher education. He attended Académie Julian
Académie Julian
The Académie Julian was an art school in Paris, France.Rodolphe Julian established the Académie Julian in 1868 at the Passage des Panoramas, as a private studio school for art students. The Académie Julian not only prepared students to the exams at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, but offered...
for studies in painting and then studied at the École Centrale Paris
École Centrale Paris
École Centrale Paris is a French university-level institution in the field of engineering. It is also known by its original name École centrale des arts et manufactures, or ECP. Founded in 1829, it is one of the oldest and most prestigious engineering schools in France and has the special status...
graduating with a degree in civil engineering before he got his further education in architecture at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He became so the first formally educated Turkish architect.
After returning home in 1897, Vedat Tek contributed with his projects to the forming of the first Turkish national architecture movement along with Mimar Kemaleddin Bey
Mimar Kemaleddin Bey
Mimar Kemaleddin or Mimar Kemaleddin Bey was an important Turkish architect of the very late period of the Ottoman architecture and the early years of the Turkish Republic....
. He served awhile as the chief architect of the Engineering Corps at the Ministry of War. Later, Sultan Mehmet V appointed him chief court architect.
He also gave lectures at Sanayi-i Nefise Mekteb-i (former Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts
Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts
Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University is a Turkish state university dedicated to the higher education of fine arts. It is located in the Fındıklı neighborhood of İstanbul, Turkey.-History:...
) and Mühendis Mekteb-i Alisi (former Istanbul Technical University
Istanbul Technical University
Istanbul Technical University is an international technical university located in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the world's third oldest technical university dedicated to engineering sciences as well as social sciences recently, and is one of the most prominent educational institutions in Turkey...
). Vedat Tek was one of the first Turkish lecturers at the Academy of Fine Arts.
He married to Firdevs. From this marriage, he had three daughters.
Vedat Tek died in 1942 and was laid to rest at the Edirnekapı Martyr's Cemetery
Edirnekapi Martyr's Cemetery
The Edirnekapı Martyr's Cemetery is a burial ground located in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey. It consists of an old, historical part and a modern one....
in Istanbul.
Projects and buildings
He was the architect of various beautiful buildings in Istanbul; some of his notable projects and buildings including:- İzmit Clock TowerIzmit clock towerThe İzmit Clock Tower in İzmit, Turkey is one of many clock towers that were built throughout the Ottoman Empire as a result of the decree which was sent to the provincial governors to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sultan Abdülhamid II's ascension to the Ottoman throne...
, İzmitIzmitİzmit is a city in Turkey, administrative center of Kocaeli Province as well as the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. It is located at the Gulf of İzmit in the Sea of Marmara, about east of Istanbul, on the northwestern part of Anatolia. The city center has a population of 294.875...
(1901) - Kastamonu Government House, KastamonuKastamonuKastamonu is the capital district of the Kastamonu Province, Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 102,059 of which 64,606 live in the urban center of Kastamonu. The district covers an area of , and the town lies at an elevation of...
(1901), - Istanbul Main Post Office Building, EminönüEminönüEminönü is a former district of Istanbul in Turkey, now a neighbourhood of Fatih district. This is the heart of the walled city of Constantine, the focus of a history of incredible richness. Eminönü covers the point on which the Byzantine capital was built. The Galata Bridge crosses the Golden Horn...
(1903–1909), - Istanbul Land Registry and Cadastre Building, Sultanahmet (1908),
- House of Vedat Tek, NişantaşıNisantasiNişantaşı is a quarter of Istanbul, Turkey, comprising neighbourhoods like Teşvikiye, Osmanbey, Maçka and Pangaltı. It includes the stores of world famous brands and has many popular cafés, pubs, restaurants and night clubs. It is a part of the Şişli district...
(1913) (used today as a restaurant), - Aviation Martyrs' MonumentAviation Martyrs' MonumentThe Aviation Martyrs' Monument , located in Fatih district of Istanbul, Turkey, is a memorial dedicated to the first soldiers of the Ottoman aviation squadrons to be killed in flight accidents...
, FatihFatihFatih is a municipality and district in Istanbul, Turkey that encompasses most of the peninsula coinciding with historic Constantinople. In 2009, the district of Eminönü, formerly a separate municipality located at the tip of the peninsula, was merged into Fatih...
(1914–1916) - Haydarpaşa Ferryboat Pier, Haydarpaşa (1915–1917)
- Moda Ferryboat Pier, Moda, HadıköyKadiköyKadıköy is a large, populous, and cosmopolitan district of İstanbul, Turkey on the Asian side of the Sea of Marmara, facing the historic city centre on the European side of the Bosporus...
(1917) (used since July 1, 2001 as a restaurant), - Doğancılar Public Park, ÜsküdarÜsküdarÜsküdar is a large and densely populated municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, on the Anatolian shore of the Bosphorus. It is bordered on the north by Beykoz, on the east by Ümraniye, on the southeast by Ataşehir, on the south by Kadıköy, and on the west by the Bosphorus, with the areas of Beşiktaş,...
(1920), - Çankaya Gazi Mansion, AnkaraAnkaraAnkara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
(1924), - Second Turkish Grand National Assembly Building, Ankara (1924). (used since October 20, 1980 as the Republic Museum)
- Ankara Palas Hotel, Ankara (designed in 1924 by him as Ministry of Health building, however completed in 1928 by Mimar Kemalettin as a hotel. It is used today as the State Guesr House.).
The First National Architecture was characterized by the creation of entirely new designs with elements taken off the Seljuk and Ottoman architecture. The buildings all over the country designed in that style had a sweeping overhanging roof, tiled panels on the façade, large arched windows and jutting semi-circular ornaments in common.
Vedat Tek was known for his colorful and ornate style in architecture.