Abstract :
The Tanzimat Era was a period of depression and transition. The Ottoman/Islamic civilisation experienced tremendous crisis after the Industrial Revolution of the West. Reaching its culmination with Tanzimat (The Rescript of Gülhane), this chaos plunged Ottomans into an identity crisis, which cannot be compared with those previously suffered. Namık Kemal views the crisis into which Ottomans fell as a matter of underdevelopment, a kind of laziness, and an underestimation of the Industrial Revolution which the West was enjoying, and explains how he interprets the term “civilisation” and how to get out of the crisis. The meaning he assignees to “civilisation” is mostly technological development. He is an Ottoman intellect advocating a synthesis; favouring a synthesis of East and West. However, he is reluctant to imitate the west as it is. He holds the opinion that they should at large adopt the technology of the West. His opinions about civilisation and its pillars, as well as his ideas and proposals about key concepts like technology; government, urban planning, and architecture are similarly maintained today. This article seeks to describe Namık Kemal’s interpretation of “civilisation” and, within this context, his resolutions for finding an outlet out of this depression
