Oriental paradise : Turkish influence in the Polish gardens

Authors:

• Jacek Kuśmierski

Abstract

Political, diplomatic and commercial contacts with the Ottoman Empire influenced Poles’ particular interest in the nature, art and architecture of the Orient. This phenomenon was reflected in Polish gardens, which featured exotic flowers and trees, Turkish tents, and oriental pavilions in the form of mosques, minarets, kiosks, tents and baths. Despite a long tradition of research into cultural exchanges between our countries, the issue has not received much attention from scholars. The present publication presents an outline of the state of knowledge about the gardens of the Ottoman Empire in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a list of plant species from Turkey, identified examples of tents displayed in Polish gardens, and designed or completed oriental pavilions. Detailed historical and structural descriptions were produced for the latter, together with a catalogue of 47 iconographic and cartographic objects. This publication is promotional material for the temporary exhibition ‘Oriental Paradise. Turkish Influence in the Polish Gardens’ presented at the Wilanów Palace from 18 September to 31 December 2023. The event was prepared on the occasion of the 17th International Congress of Turkish Art (ICTA) in Warsaw, which was co-organised by the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanów and the University of Warsaw on 18–21 September 2023.