Sonic representations of power

This study investigates the interrelation between power and sound, examining how sonic elements function as instruments of authority. It focuses on the festivities held in Istanbul in 1582 to celebrate the circumcision of Sultan Murad III’s son, Prince Mehmed. To explore the sonic atmosphere of this event, the research first contextualizes the political, social and economic structures of Murad III’s reign. It then analyzes how this background shaped the opulent and sensory character of the celebrations, evaluating various festival elements in relation to the representation of power. Sound is approached not merely as musical performance, but as part of a broader sensorial atmosphere encompassing speech, noise, and silence. Drawing on methodologies and approaches from musicology, sound studies, history, anthropology, and sensory studies, the analysis demonstrates how sound actively participated in constructing and expressing political power in early modern Ottoman culture.

2025

dissertation

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