Searching for spatial influences of islamic beliefs on the traditional Turkish house

Abstract

It is possible to say that the concept of a “Turkish House” is mainly a product of Islam, although the form of dwelling tents in the nomadic period indicates there are some common features with a Turkish house. The religion of Islam and the culture of the Turks in Middle Asia show great integration in the Turkish house. The matriarchal family system of the ancient Turks, before they adopted Islam, was inverted to a patriarchal social order such that it affected the traditional Turkish house. Turkish houses mainly show common socio-cultural aspects affected by religious precepts and execute identical features, depending on the region. Thus, it is important to emphasize that the male-dominated belief of the Turco-Islamic family had not changed until the modern period; and the position of women in the society and the house mostly determines the character of a Turkish house. Religious beliefs bring an introverted form and privacy within the Turkish house; because in Islam, cultural privacy of the family members from the others and from the street is important. In addition to that, the privacy of the women family members or guests in the house is most significant; so the privacy, position and actions of the women in Islam is the most important factor shaping the spatial organization of the house. The traces and reflections of Islam can be directly read into spaces such as the haremlik and selamlık, the orientation of the rooms; and the architectural elements such as the windows, doors or some specialized ones; the relationship between streets and the house, the characteristics of courtyard walls, the location of the toilet, the separation of actions and spaces for toilet and bath, the orientation of spaces to the qibla, and even the knockers of outdoor doors. In the light of this, the purpose of this study is first to assert the concept of “Turkish house”, and then its relationship with the religious factors, to reveal this connection specifically to the Islamic Turkish house and to scrutinize the spaces and elements of the Turkish house within this context