The First national architectural movement (Turkish: Birinci Ulusal Mimarlık Akımı), also referred to in Turkey as the National architectural Renaissance (Turkish: Millî Mimari Rönesansı), or Turkish Neoclassical architecture (Turkish: Neoklasik Türk Üslûbu), was a period of Turkish architecture that was most prevalent between 1908 and 1930 but continued until the end of the 1930s.[1][2] Inspired by Ottomanism, the movement sought to capture classical elements of Ottoman and Anatolian Seljuk architecture and use them in the construction of modern buildings. Despite the style focusing on Ottoman aspects, it was most prevalent during the first decade of the Republic of Turkey.[1]
The most important architects of the movement were Ahmet Kemaleddin and Vedat Tek, who pioneered the movement, as well as Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu and Ottoman-born architect of Italian descent Giulio Mongeri.