Plaster Mihrab in Aydın Province (İzmir, Aydın, Denizli, Muğla, Manisa) in the 19th Century

Mihrabs, located on the axes of the qibla walls to determine the direction of worship in Islamic architecture, are one of the architectural elements that attract attention with their size, fiction, material and decoration features. The qibla direction, determined by a sign during the reign of Prophet Muhammad, evolved into a niche form with the Umayyads, adopting a style close to the classical period. This form was continued and diversified during the Seljuk and Principalities periods in Anatolia. Stone mihrabs in Divriği Ulu Mosque, tiles in Konya Alaaddin Mosque, plaster-tiles in Ankara Arslanhane Mosque, plaster in Kastamonu Townköy Mahmut Bey Mosque, and wooden mihrabs in Ürgüp Damsa Village Taşkın Pasha Mosque showcase this rich diversity. In this type of mihrab arrangement, which continued with minor differences in the Early Ottoman Period, plaster material was mostly used due to economic considerations. In the Classical Ottoman Period, stone and marble materials were preferred for the mihrabs, continuing the tradition but reaching a unique style, especially in the Selatin mosques. Continuing until the second half of the 18th century, this tradition was enriched with different materials and types of ornamentation under the influence of Western art styles, leading to the emergence of new designs in various provinces of the empire, especially in the capital, Istanbul. In this period, with the deterioration of the economy, plaster was used in ornamentation due to its affordable cost, easy processing and shaping, and the taste of the period. Aydın Province (Aydın, Denizli, İzmir, Manisa and Muğla), which is the subject of this thesis, is also an important region where new designs were applied. One hundred and four mihrabs using plaster materials were identified in buildings built or repaired in the 19th century in the region. Eleven of the mihrabs are located in Aydın, ten in Denizli, sixty-three in İzmir, fourteen in Manisa and eight in Muğla.