Timber Construction Systems in Anatolian Vernacular Architecture

Abstract

Timber, along with stone and mudbrick, is among the most widely used building materials in architecture. Since the beginnings of architecture, timber has been a building material that has been employed in every type of wooden structure. In Anatolian architecture as well, timber was used throughout history, from the Neolithic Age onward. It can be seen that wood was a prominent element of particularly vernacular architecture beginning in that era. In every region of Anatolia, varying geographical and climatic conditions, as well as characteristic materials and sociocultural trends have produced natural habitats that display different traditions of building. These regional differences have resulted in architectural identities that are specific to each area. The regional houses built from the indigenous types of timber found in an area encompass the building systems of that location, thus assuming a regional identity. The aim of this article is to present the timber building systems used in traditional Anatolian vernacular architecture in an attempt to uncover the architectural wealth that this traditional system of the building embodies.