Conversions of existing building components in new function in transformation of religious buildings: Church and mosque transformations

Religious structures, which have established an important link between the living and the lived, from the past to the present, have included the traces of many cultures and civilizations over time. These structures have been transformed or completely abolished in line with the political, social and various economic needs of the society. Purpose of the study; The aim of this study is to examine the transformation process of religious buildings in line with the conditions of the period, and the structural components, functional equivalents, positive or negative effects in the converted buildings in terms of functional, technical and aesthetic aspects, and set an example for new building transformations to be made. Within the scope of the study, sample structures from different regions were examined in order to make a detailed analysis and to examine the effects of regional differences. Observation and content analysis methods, which are among the data collection methods, were used in the study. Technical, functional and aesthetic analyzes were examined with observation in the space, and content tables related to the buildings were prepared as a base for these analyzes. In the content analysis, various classifications were made in the context of the transformed functions of the building components. As a result of the study, it was determined that the religious structure transformations varied in direct proportion to the political, economic and social conditions of the period, but some structures were transformed within the framework of need, and some structures were necessarily transformed. This has had a negative impact on the sustainability of the buildings.