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About Me
Hello! My name is Sule Ulgen. I am a Turkish artist who makes  models of old Turkish houses.
I was born in Istanbul and  traveled all around Turkey with my father who was an army officer.
I am  married to  Ender Ulgen, a Turkish journalist, and we have a daughter. Since 1994   I have been  living in New York, where my husband works.

My Aim
I am a romantic and an artist looking back and living in  nostalgia. I always admired the elegance and romantic views of old houses in Istanbul and I found it painful  to see them disappearing  one after another because of lack of care, falling prey to fires or been victimized by the rapid urbanization.
I tried to find out what  I could do to help  them survive and in 1980,  after some trials, I started to create my models. My aim was to make my generation  more aware of the beauty of these houses, and also to help preserve them for the next generations.

My Background
Having no formal training in model making I have basically developed my models and techniques on my own.  People have been impressed with my ability to reflect the architectural differentiation of various regions of Turkey.
I have had  several exhibitions between 1981 and 1993, first in Turkey, in Ankara and Istanbul; then  in Brussels, at the CGER-ASLK Bank and  in an international tourism fair; in Antwerp within the context of the ''Goodmorning Anatolia''  Exhibit; in Paris, at ''Musee de l'Homme'' and in the UNESCO Building; as well as in  ''Royal Cultural Center''  in Amman, Jordan.

Also, several TV chains press media have produced  programs related to my models and my art.
My hobbies include drawing and painting  (charcoal and oils), cold ceramics and poetry. Currently  I am taking notes  for  a future book which will reflect my memoirs of New York.

General Characteristics of Turkish Houses
Turkish houses were started to proliferate within the large boundaries of the Ottoman Empire as of the 15th Century. They were built in such  a way as to allow  three generations live altogether under the same roof. There are in various types, such as yali (waterfront houses), konak (mansions), kiosks, as well as regular houses for the middle class.
It is obvious that Turkish houses reflect the characteristics of the vicinity where they stand, but they also have some common features. For instance they all have cages, bay windows, shutters and large eaves on the facade and outside of the buildings; while internally one can see large cabinets, sofas and washing places inserted within cabinets, fire places and even marble fountains.
First floors were usually assigned to cellars,  rooms for servants and stables.
On the second floors, there were hallways and  large rooms. Here, one can see  richly decorated walls and ceilings, in contrast with the humble appearance of the  buildings' exteriors. Gardens were  protected from alien eyes with high rise walls.
Unfortunately it is very difficult to preserve those houses, built essentially by wood and mud-bricks; so they disappear because of climatic factors,  some inevitable fires or just because of the rapid urbanization.
I hope I am helping  to preserve a little piece of architectural history  through my models.

Some of My Models

The house of the eminent Turkish composer Hammamizade Ismail Dede Efendi. It is in Cankurtaran district of Istanbul and recently repaired and transformed into a museum by the Association to Protect Historical Turkish Houses. Actually there is an old Turkish musical instruments exhibit in the museum.
The fountain next  the house was a perfect example of stone carving and was built  in the name of the  Ottoman Sultan Mahmut, the  IInd.
(The model was completed in 6 months. Scale: 1/50).
 

Amcazade Huseyin pasa’s yali (waterfront house). This is the oldest waterfront house in Bogazici (Bosphorus) in Istanbul. It was built in 17th century and just the  council chamber can stand erect till today. It has a (T) shape, painted in red and richly decorated internally, with a fountain in the middle of the hall. Eminent statesmen were entertained in this building. There were large seats  under the windows and people sitting there can watch the Bosphorus as they are in the sea.
(The model was completed in 4.5 months. Scale: 1/50).
 

House of Istanbullu Ahmet, in Safranbolu.
In Safranbolu, northwestern Anatolia, the majority of old wooden houses were actually  under a preservation program initiated by UNESCO, the UN Cultural & Educational Organization, so the whole city can be called  a ‘’museum town’’.
(The model was completed in 5 months 10 days. Scale: 1/50).
 

A characteristic Istanbul wooden house at Goksu/Istanbul.
(The model was completed in 22 days)
 

A typical Istanbul house in Buyukdere, Istanbul.
(The model was completed in 30 days)

If you would like to see  more of my models, please click

E-mail: eulgen@aol.com
 
 

This Web Page was created by ENDER ULGEN using Netscape Composer.