The Great Exhibition of 1851 and the Ottoman State's Participation

The increase in production in the European States after the Industrial Revolution led to a growing quest for new markets and raw materials. To meet this demand, international exhibitions started to be organized to promote industrial products and production tools. Another aim of these exhibitions was to showcase scientific, industrial, technological and agricultural developments and innovations. Pioneered by France and England, the industrial exhibitions were held to market raw materials coming from the colonies of these countries and industrial products made from those raw materials. Initially launched for industrial and commercial purposes, the exhibitions also resulted in an interaction between European and non-European countries’ cultures and local arts. Similar events were held in France at the national level since the late eighteenth century and in various European countries in the first half of the nineteenth century. The first international exhibition was the Great Exhibition held in London in 1851, which was also an inspiration for other international exhibitions to be held thereafter