Exploring Identity Issues in Development Areas of Vernacular Rural Settlements: A Case Study of Behramkale, Türkiye

Sustainable rural development is a challenging issue, considering the pressure of change brought by the demands of globalisation and intensified tourism activities in rural vernacular settlements. While studies in this field often focus on historical centres, research on the distinctive urban and architectural identity of “village development areas” in rural vernacular settlements remains scarce. To address this gap in the literature, a field study was conducted in the vernacular rural settlement of Behramkale, located in the Northern Aegean region of Türkiye. The study explored the continuity of architectural and urban identity and its significance. The research involved a qualitative assessment of primary data obtained through architectural surveys and archival documents collected in 2017 and 2021. Data analysis not only focused on static features of place identity but included dynamic and perceptual features of place identity. Planning policy inadequacies and the implications of top-down decisions on vernacular rural Türkiye are discussed. The key finding from the study highlights the necessity for a more participatory and site-specific approach to preserving vernacular rural heritage’s urban and architectural identity for sustainable development. In this regard, the paper proposes that an identity-based and people-centred approach should be integrated into the policies for the development areas of vernacular rural settlements. This integration aims to preserve the local architectural identity and promote a belongingness community among residents

Arap Hanı and its importance in 18th – 19th century khans in İstanbul

Bu çalışma, İstanbul’un Eminönü İlçesi’nde yer alan Arap Hanı’nın tarihsel gelişimi ve mekan özelliklerinin incelenmesinin yanı sıra 18. ve 19. yüzyıl şehir hanlarıyla yapılan karşılaştırmalar neticesinde dönem hanlarının yapım teknikleri ve mimari özelliklerinin tartışılmasını hedeflemektedir. Arap Hanı, bir iç avlu etrafında düzenlenmiş beşik tonozlu mekânlardan oluşan iki katlı, kâgir bir yapıdır. Klasik Osmanlı ticaret han mimarisinin plan şemasını tekrar etmekle beraber, 19. yüzyılda, batı etkisiyle birlikte görülen malzeme ve üslup farklarını da içermektedir. Bu özellikleri ile yapı, Osmanlı şehir hanlarının batılılaşma çabaları ile birlikte geçirdiği köklü değişiklikleri de gözler önüne sermektedir. Çalışma kapsamında, 18. ve 19. yüzyıl İstanbul hanları genel özellikleriyle ele alınmış, plan, cephe, malzeme ve yapım teknikleri açısından Arap Hanı ile karşılaştırmalı analizleri yapılmıştır. Makale esas olarak, yazarın, İTÜ Mimarlık Fakültesi Restorasyon Bölümü’nde, Doç. Dr. Yegan Kahya danışmanlığında, 2005 yılında tamamladığı “Eminönü Küçükpazar’da Arap Hanı Restorasyon Projesi” isimli Yüksek Lisans Tezi’ne dayanarak hazırlanmıştır.The aim of this paper is to analyze the construction history of Arap Khan, situated in the Eminönü district of İstanbul and to discuss the architectural features of 18th and 19th century khans with a comparative study. Arap Hanı is a double storied, masonry building, consisted of barrel vaulted rooms around an inner court. Despite repeating the plan scheme of classical Ottoman khans, the building implies the 19th century western influence in material and architectural style and thus, displays the radical changes in the Ottoman city-inns with the efforts of westernization. In this study, general architectural features of the 18th and 19th century khans are discussed and comparative analyses are made by means of plan, façade, material and construction techniques. This paper is based on the author’s master’s thesis, named as “Restoration Project of Arap Hanı in Eminönü Küçükpazar” with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yegan Kahya as the supervisor at ITU Faculty of Architecture, Department of Restoration

An Investigation of Occupant Energy-Saving Behavior in Vernacular Houses of Behramkale (Assos)

Despite its well-known potential to reduce energy use, the inquiry of whether vernacular architecture prompts its occupants to have energy-saving behavior has been neglected. This paper aims to investigate the influence of vernacular houses on the behavior of their occupants and other parameters affecting occupant behavior. Along with site observations, 117 surveys including multiple choice and open-ended questions were conducted with households living in vernacular houses and new houses in the historical settlement, Behramkale (Assos). A principal component analysis was conducted for the whole sample to determine whether there is a relationship between energy saving occupant behavior and energy use, household, and housing characteristics. Then further analyses were performed to explore the differences in descriptive properties of occupants. Household characteristics were found to be associated with occupant behavior. The females and married people tended to show more energy-saving behavior and sought to use their houses in more environmentally friendly ways. The older people were more likely to show no-cost energy-saving behavior. The households with high income and high-level education tended to invest in energy-efficient appliances but consumed more energy than other households. Besides the effects of household characteristics, historical heritage, and landscape values specific to the area influenced occupant behavior. Vernacular houses enabled the households to behave in a certain way and to continue the traditional daily habits related to sustainable, energy-saving behaviors