Foça kule evleri

Tower houses are defensive stone-walled structures with square or rectangular plans, and their heights are greater than their widths. Dating back to ancient times, the tradition of tower house forms an immense typology, early examples of which are found in Greece, the Balkans and the Greek islands. The Foça towers, in turn, are the structures of the last period in the tower house typology. Despite some local differences, they are similar structures in terms of general constructional order. Besides the local ones, there are other differences resulted from the evolutions that the tower houses experienced during ancient times and the Middle Ages, as well as until the end of 1800's. The tower houses of Türkiye, concentrated in the Aegean, Mediterranean, and West Anatolia regions, are the extensions of an ancient tradition. Besides the individually-sited tower houses, there are also towers built to protect the mansions in the vast agricultural estates owned by powerful families who dominated their territories. The tower houses in West Anatolia are of this category. The tower houses in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions, which are usually individually sited in the coastal areas, are defensive structures built against the possible attacks of pirates. The architectural order of the tower houses, both in the planimetric arrangement and with the features of mass and facades, were formed so as to provide opportunities for defending, communicating, and watching. Their locations according to each other also serve the same purpose. The first part of this thesis gives general information about the tower concept and the history and features of the tower houses. This part also includes their distribution in the Aegean region. The second part is about the tower houses in the district of Foça, as well as the history of Foça. The detailed study about the Kartera and Sazlıca tower houses is given under the title of "The Distribution and Documentation of The Tower Houses in Foça ". Under the title ofIV "The Features of The Tower Houses at Foça ", one can find information about the plans, elevations, structural features, and architectural components (elements). The third and final part includes importance and recommendations about the texture protection of the Foça and Kartera-Sazhca towers. Reflecting the life style, culture, and mores of the community that lived towards the end of 1800's in Foça - a town dating back to ancient times and being a stage for the lives of various communities - the tower houses of Foça are significant structures that should be carefully protected and delivered to the next generations.