Exterior use of natural stone in traditional housing architecture: Kayseri/Talas example

Talas district, which hosts cultural interaction, stands out with its richness in terms of traditional housing. One of the most distinctive features of Talas traditional houses is that the building material used is natural stone. In this study, it is aimed to examine in detail the Han, Harman, Kiçiköy, Tablakaya and Yukarı neighborhoods located within the borders of the Urban Protected Area of Talas district of Kayseri province. In this context, it was aimed to examine the natural stone in the exterior architecture of a total of fifteen traditional houses by selecting three examples from each of these neighborhoods. Traditional houses selected in this area; The natural stone materials used in the buildings were determined by considering the plan features, building elements, facade, material and technical details. Each residence has been documented using photography and the Municipality archives. As a result of the study; It was observed that two types of natural stones, basalt and andesite, were used in the Han, Harman, Kiçiköy, Tablakaya and Yukarı neighborhoods of Talas district. Natural stone; It was used on walls, buttress systems, floor moldings and water drainage areas called gargoyles. Wood is an auxiliary element to the natural stone used on the facade; It can be seen on windows, doors, shutters and buttresses. Key Words: Natural Stone, Facade, Kayseri, Talas