Analysis of wooden pillar and wooden ceiling mosques of the Seljuk and principalities period

Ercan Aksoy and Özlem Sağıroğlu Demirci

Journal of Design for Resilience in Architecture and Planning, 2025, vol. 6, issue 2, 395-412

Abstract: Mosques, as structures meticulously designed and constructed, represent the pinnacle of architectural and aesthetic solutions within Islamic civilizations. The desire for proximity to the mihrab in mosque design has necessitated the development of original and rational structural solutions, leading to significant advancements in architectural technology and technique. Mosque architecture, predominantly masonry, reflects both local architectural influences and the availability of materials, often shaped by regional traditions and construction methods specific to certain periods. A notable example of this is the wooden columned and wooden-ceilinged mosques, extensively constructed in Anatolia during the Seljuk and Principalities periods, where all elements, except for the masonry walls, were crafted from wood. This article presents a typological analysis of mosques with flat timber beams, wooden columns, and wooden ceilings, offering a comprehensive examination of their distinctive architectural features. The structural analysis encompasses all aspects from the foundation to the roof, with detailed documentation of their construction techniques. The aim of this study is to contribute to the conservation and restoration efforts of these mosques, a group of which only a few original, high-quality examples remain. Furthermore, this research is of particular significance as it represents one of the first studies to document the ceiling solutions of wooden hypostyle mosques, some of which are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. For the typological studies, both on-site examinations were conducted and data from previous sources were evaluated. The ceiling analysis was carried out using application photographs of a restored mosque, employing a three-dimensional modeling method.

Keywords: conservation; cultural heritage; hypostyle mosques; straight beam; wooden masjid (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://drarch.org/index.php/drarch/article/view/269 Abstract page (text/html)
https://drarch.org/index.php/drarch/article/download/269/187 Full text (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:etk:drarch:v:6:y:2025:i:2:id:269

DOI: 10.47818/DRArch.2025.v6i2174

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Journal of Design for Resilience in Architecture and Planning from Mehmet Topcu
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Dr. Havva Alkan Bala, Çukurova University Faculty of Architecture (Çukurova University Faculty of Communication 3rd floor) Saricam / Adana, Türkiye ().