Ornament in residential architecture in the Ottoman westernization period: Aleppo and Gaziantep cases

While decorating the places inhabited by mankind from prehistoric times to the present day, the ornamentation became one of the important symbols of the identity, culture and life style. The decoration techniques used on the surfaces that make up the living space show different styles and technical characteristics that vary according to different periods in various parts of the world. Depending on the development of Turkish Islamic art, the ornament understanding used in the houses in the Ottoman civil architecture has changed in the 19th century with the effect of Westernization. This change was reflected in different cities starting from the imperial center of Istanbul. In this thesis, similar housing examples from Aleppo in the Middle East and from Gaziantep in Anatolia (where 19th century westernization effects are seen) are studied. In these cities, stone decoration, wood carving motifs and wall paintings were frequently used as the main elements of ornamentation. In this thesis, the place and importance of ornament in residential architecture, the effect of ornament tradition on Aleppo houses in the Middle East and the effect of Turkish Islamic ornament art on Gaziantep houses were investigated. Examples of residential decoration in Gaziantep are Abdulkadir Kimya House and Gogus House. As a part of the Ottoman Empire, local Aleppo architects transferred their techniques and culture to their works, especially in the houses built in the 19th century. The prominent examples are Ghazaleh House and Ajekbash House. Since 2012, most of Syria's architectural heritage has been destroyed by war. In Aleppo, losses in both the old and modern areas of the city have increased and many traditional houses have been damaged. For this reason, the ornaments used in the houses discussed in Aleppo have been studied from the references. The decorations used in the houses in Gaziantep have been photographed and documented. The aim of this thesis is to transfer the original ornament tradition of Ottoman residential architecture to future generations.