Traces of the Anatolian Housing Culture in the Balkans: A Comparative Analysis

The traces of the traditional Anatolian housing culture are easily seen in every region where the Ottoman Empire reigned. In almost every region within the Empire, residences specific to Anatolian culture were built, as well as public buildings such as madrasahs, mosques, dervish lodges, inns, baths, bridges and fountains. Also ethnic, social and cultural differences were blended, and a multi-layered culture with a wide variety –but also with many similarities– has emerged. This cultural interaction is probably most common in the Balkan countries. From the mid-14th century onwards, the empire settled the nomadic Turkish tribes in the newly conquered Balkans, and the interaction of these tribes with indigenous communities, has made the emergence of a common culture inevitable. This was a natural consequence of the settlement policy of the Empire, and it was also a way of spreading its own culture. As a result, the Ottoman Empire left the traces of the Anatolian housing culture in the Balkans. Therefore, certain similar features that constitute the spatial and morphological identity of the Anatolian House are the common ground on which the Balkan and the Anatolian culture meet each other. In this paper, the spatial organizations, structural features and similar aspects of the traditional houses –which are the common cultural product of the Balkan people and Anatolian people who have lived together for centuries– will be examined through the case studies within a conceptual framework. In this context, traditional houses in various regions of Macedonia have been selected as examples of the traditional houses of the Balkans; and in the same sense, traditional houses of Bursa İznik region were chosen as examples of the traditional Anatolian houses. The aim is to make a comparative analysis of these houses, in terms of spatial and cultural aspects. In this paper, as a research method, we will draw on literature review and documentation-examination. And the characteristics of the common cultural heritage will be emphasized within the context of the case studies. So within the scope of this study, it is aimed to ensure that, future generations can also adapt and sustain the common cultural heritage formed by intertwined cultures.

Keywords

Housing Culture, Traditional Housing, Ohrid, İznik, Comparative Analysis