Geleneksel Sakarya Evlerinde Bezeme
Decoration in Traditional Sakarya Houses

Summary/Abstract: Being a migration area due to its location and fertile lands since the foundation of Ottoman Empire, Sakarya, despite its richness in domestic architecture, has witnessed frequent earthquakes which highly damaged the houses, as located on the 1st grade seismic belt. A few houses in city centre and the districts have survived so far apart from the ones in the district of Taraklı. Not older than the late nineteenth century samples, these houses, in terms of planning and functionality, holds the same characteristics as the houses built in the wide area that the Turkish architecture expands, while in terms of decoration, has been under the influence of the nineteen century fashion trend as a result of its closeness to the capital, İstanbul back then. The Baroque, Rococo, Empire and Neo-Classical elements found in house decorations, has been applied in appropriate with the Westernization policy of Ottoman Empire. Reflecting Western art traditions this fashion trend, followed both in İstanbul and Anatolia after late eighteen century, although did not change the original line and body of the construction, has been dominated in decoration with Western motifs combinations like Baroque elements, garlands “S”, “C” folds, oyster motifs, naturalist blossoms, landscape depictions and still life. Decoration materials in Sakarya and its districts are consisted mainly of wood, paint, metal and plaster. These materials are figured by techniques like hand carving, pounding, engraving, openwork, embossing and hammering. The decorations are mainly observed in the inner sites of the houses, particularly in the headrooms of the houses. In these houses, the decorations are concentrated mostly in ceilings and ceiling roses. Apart from headrooms, decorations are seen in the other parts of the house, along with ceilings and walls, in architectural components like doors, barriers, column heading, eaves and archs.

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