Ceramic surface interpretations of myths that took place in Anatolian geography

During the period in which Turks came from Central Asia to Anatolia, it has been long known that they were influenced by the beliefs and cultures of various ethnic communities. The same interaction proceeded in the settled land in Anatolia, which is an ancient residential area. Nonetheless, those deep seated indigenous belief elements were preserved within that period and managed to remain in cultures without perishing. In spite of some minor alterations in terms of the name, form or story flow, they have managed to survive until today. In contrast to the legends, epics and tales that are known to be based on myths, mythological expressions that convert into symbols getting a meaning as a visual element in works of art are seen in works belonging to the Anatolian Seljuk Period. Especially, in Konya, which was the capital city of the Seljuks, the mythological symbols constantly apparent in ceramics and tiles in architectural structures were investigated, and iconographic analyzes of these expression forms were integrated. This study has been carried out by taking this idea into consideration: "Mythological symbols that were set in the Anatolian Geography of the 11th and 13th centuries reveal themselves on the surface of ceramics and tile works that represent our traditional culture, on the other hand the functional and expressive aspects of these symbols havenot had the chance to gain ground due to staying in the dark in today's understanding of ceramic art. Dragon, Griffon, Sphinx, Harpy (Siren, Simurg), Double-Headed Eagle, Peacock, Deer, Fish, Tree of Life and Pomegranate patterns found in the works of art known as palace tiles were selected because they are the the most iconographically mentioned symbols and examined within the context of the literature. The existence of mystical symbols in Anatolian Seljuk tile samples was recorded, whose roots go backward to the archaic period beliefs by was predicted that it would contribute to science and art with the purpose of nourishing the mythological elements in ceramics by new interpretations. In the light of the above-mentioned collected data, it was concluded that the mystical bird come to be known as Harpy, Siren, Simurg, Anka, Garuda in the myths of some cultures matched with the Goddess or Iye (angel) -entitled as Umay in Turkish Mythology- and assumed to play similar roles. By taking this similarity as a starting point, interpretations were made within the restrictions of the Tree of Life and Umay element, mystical compositions were composed and implemented to ceramic panels with the relief technique.