Design elements as water structures in Diyarbakır civil architecture (Pool, salsabil, serdab)

This research examines the aqua elements, which have a design function in the civil architecture of city of Diyarbakır, which are opened for continuous development throughout history and situated in the strategic location of Southeast Anatolia. The main objective of the Master Thesis, titled as "Pools, Cold Water and Public Foundation in Diyarbakır Civil Architecture" is to determine pool, salsabil and cold waters, which acquire character to the spaces with functional and artistic dimension in the Diyarbakır architecture. However, we have encountered with salsabil element not with foundation in the civil architecture of Diyarbakır during our study in the master thesis, titled as "Pools, Cold Water and Public Foundation in Diyarbakır Civil Architecture". The objective of this study is to assess the aqua elements which function as design in the civil architecture of Diyarbakır as a whole and present its unique position in the Anatolian aqua architecture of Diyarbakır. As a result of the study, aqua elements of the Diyarbakır civil architecture has been determined and houses, public houses, pavilion and pools, salsabils and fountains in the public structures have been assessed in terms of material, technique and decoration within the framework of art history discipline. The study has been conducted on five main topics. First of them is when it entered into the city by specifying the aqueducts from the water sources in Diyarbakır; secondly water elements which we have encountered in the pools and summer houses, which are the indispensable factors in the yard, iwan and cold water rooms in the residence architecture of Diyarbakır. In the third section, approximately 225 houses have been reached during our study but only water elements of the 26 structures have been given as an important sample. 36 water elements, consisting of 31 pools, 2 salsabil and 3 cold water in total, have been examined by addressing in detail with same expression method in terms of material, technical features, decoration and date. At the same time, 2 pool overthrow pots and 3 pool drain tanks used as a decoration element in the pools have been given as example while examining the pools. Water wells beside the water elements have been addressed but it is not specified in the catalogue part again. In the third section, these water elements have been categorized according to the typologies in terms of plan and location by taking previous typologies, which have been conducted themselves, as a resource and a resource has been created. Finally, water elements in civil architecture of Diyarbakir were compared with the samples in the city, region and country. This study contains important data that will shed light on the historical and cultural background of Diyarbakır's civil architecture. Keywords: Diyarbakir, Aqueducts, Pool, salsabil, Serdab.