Causes of decay in masonry buildings

Causes of decay in masonry buildings are researched. In masonry mosque buildings where the research have been made, the decays and the causes of decays are determined. The aim of the research is to determining the causes of decay in masonry buildings and contribute to future studies. In the inspected mosques, the decays of today and their causes of decays are estimated. In the work, the reasons for structural failures are handed from building materials to the whole building scale. the building materials which constitutes the masonry structure the properties of the building elements, failure types and causes of decay are researched through the reference books. In the selected historical masonry buildings, such defects are estimated through eye inspected. The masonry buildings are built by three kind of building materials; natural stones, bricks and mud bricks. Woods and metals are used in the details of such buildings. The causes of decays in these three kind of building materials are; miss production of material, formation technique, air pollution, rain, freeze, moisture, temperature changes, biological living beings, wrong detailing and man made causes. These causes of decays are strongly related to each other mostly one cause is result of another. Keyword: Masonry Buildings. Natural Stones, Bricks, Mud Bricks, Şemsi Paşa Mosque, Ahi Çelebi Mosque, Edirnekapı Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, Bodrum Mosque.