Sustainable lessons learned from traditional dwellings: Traditional windcatchers of Sanliurfa

A windcatcher is a building component that contributes to the thermal comfort of the traditional living spaces in the Middle East especially during the hot season. Examples of windcatchers are found in a vast area from North Africa to India. It is also possible to see the application of them in Şanlıurfa, a city in the Southeastern part of Turkey. However, the relevant literature does not give much information on this topic. Even studies on the traditional living spaces of Şanlıurfa are far from giving information about the windcatchers. This study aims to investigate this subject in detail with an attempt to introduce and document the remaining samples. Moreover, the study aims to uncover the formal and functional similarities or differences between the windcatchers in Şanlıurfa and the other examples in the world. Another purpose of the study is to examine the modern examples of the windcatchers. Within the light of the information obtained from the examination of both traditional and modern examples of windcatchers, the form and working methods that can inspire future designs have been revealed.