Akhisar houses with architectural characteristics

The first settlements in Akhisar, which is one of the districts of the city of Manisa, date back to 3500 B.C. The city has been a preferred destination by many important civilizations such as Lydia, Persia, Rome and Byzantium throughout the history. Turkification process started at the beginning of the 14th century in the city which remained under Ottoman rule for many years. Monumental structures such as mosques, inns, madrasas and many civil buildings such as shops and houses were built during this period. With the beginning of the Turkish Republic era, developments in different areas affected the zoning activities. In the civil architecture, apart from apartments and housing units, qualified houses were also built. Wars, natural disasters and lack of conservation awareness have led to the destruction of many traditional houses. The examples that survived until today are crucial in terms of providing us the information about the housing of the past. Cultural interactions caused from the post war immigrations have affected housing architecture considerably. The historical houses which are still standing to the present day in Akhisar exhibit architectural features from both Turkish and Greek residential. The construction process of the houses can be dated starting from the late 19th century and early 20th century. The houses can be observed as one-storey, one-storeywith basement, two-storey or two-storeywith basement. Two of the dwellings examined should come out closed with miter.Apart from the exceptions in the examples of external dwelling,most of it have characteristics of interior in terms of plan type. Entrance to the houses is usually through the street. The residences show similarities among each other in terms of architectural features apart from unique examples. Some of the two-storey houses contain a balcony. There are also few examples of houses with bay windows. Every aspect of Akhisar houses tells the story of the reflection of the geography, history, cultural interactions and the impacts of the century on the material culture. The studies which aim for the preservation of these houses that witnessed centuries is at great importance and must be increased. Key Words: Akhisar Houses, Traditional House, Akhisar, Manisa.