Author(s)

Zeynep Uzun & Aynur ÇIfTÇI

Abstract

Wood has been the most popular construction material for centuries in Turkey, the middle part of the Black  Sea  region,  which owned a vast  forested  area. Samsun province  is the richest  city in terms of religious  wooden architecture heritage  with its identified 114 wooden mosques.  Five  traditional wooden mosques have been chosen as study area and documented in Kavak district, which is located in the south of Samsun. These mosques, used for prayer especially on fridays, religious  holidays and funerals,  have  been built using various construction techniques  and belonged  to different  periods. In this research, the wooden mosques are studied considering their relationship with environment and nature, shape of mass, plan scheme and interior and exterior architectural features. It is observed  that these mosques have direct relation to the nature, especially water sources  and forested area, and they are located far from the settlements in walking distance. The documentation is based on site survey drawings and interviews  with religious officials,  users of the mosques and theologians to understand the religious rituals of the region. until recently, the wooden mosques in Kavak have been studied only by art historians and theologians in detail about the values of mosques’  art history. In this article, Kavak  region mosque will be analysed  through architectural perspective  for the first time. Kavak  mosques  have  some  conservation  problems  such  as intervention  and lack  of volunteers, bad climatic conditions and deterioration of the wood materials. In this research, it is aimed to create awareness on religious architectural  heritage  in Samsun, Kavak,  which is a source  for conservation studies by offering a database.

Keywords

architectural features, Black Sea region, exterior, interior, Kavak, Samsun, space analysis, wooden mosques