Designing Ottoman Prisons in the 19th Century: Ankara Central Prison Projects

Abstract

History of prison reform and the changing prison architecture in the 19th century Ottoman Empire is a newly discovered area of study. Prison projects, prepared to be built in many provinces in Anatolia, needs to be explored in order to understand the effect of the transformation initiated by the general reforms implemented in the empire on the Ottoman architectural world. The aim of this paper is to shed light on previously unrevealed prison projects through the case of Ankara Central Prison to better understand the architectural development in the 19th century Ottoman Empire. Within the scope of this article, three projects created for Ankara Central Prison will be analyzed through their spatial developments in the context of penal system reforms throughout the Empire.