Geometric motifs taken from a centuries-old document still serve as inspiration to Istanbul’s contemporary designers.
Tucked away in the labyrinthine hallways of Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace is a medieval document that, 600 years after it was written, sheds light on the city’s burgeoning contemporary design scene. The 98-foot-long Topkapı Scroll is a compendium of 114 individual geometric patterns for wall surfaces and architecture. Used by craftsmen responsible for building the Islamic world, the scroll illuminates the role of geometry as a primary design conceit for the area’s hybrid Eurasian culture.
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