Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
RECENT STUDIES in ARCHITECTURE, Prof.Dr. Filiz Sönmez, Editör, Livre de Lyon, Lyon, ss.123-142, 2025
Timber has long played an important role in the interior spaces of traditional rural houses, supporting both daily domestic activities and the organization of everyday life. Across Anatolia, the use of timber varies according to environmental conditions and local building traditions. As noted by Kazmaoğlu and Tanyeli (1979), the availability of local resources shapes vernacular architecture and strongly influences material choices and construction techniques. In Kayseri, where stone is abundant, it is primarily used as the main structural material, while timber is largely employed in interior spaces. Timber contributes to structural definition as well as functional and spatial flexibility within the house (Çorapçıoğlu et al., 2008). Despite its significance, scholarly attention to timber in Kayseri’s rural interiors remains limited. Existing studies on the region’s rural architecture tend to focus on stone construction and general material characteristics, with interior timber elements either briefly mentioned or overlooked altogether. Yet elements such as ceilings, flooring, fenestration, built-in furniture, and decorative details formed in timber represent an essential component of the architectural language. These features embody traditional craftsmanship that is gradually disappearing and play a key role in the spatial organization of domestic life. The lack of focused research on these timber components therefore creates a significant gap in understanding the material and spatial qualities of rural interiors in Kayseri. The aim of the study is to address this gap by examining the use of timber in interior spaces of rural houses in Kayseri. It identifies common timber typologies, examines, how timber shapes spatial organization and explores its cultural role in everyday life. The research draws on literature review, archival materials and field observations carried out in rural settlements of Karahöyük, Talas, Ağırnas, Gesi, Germir and Bağpınar in Kayseri. Together, these settlements provide a comparative basis for understanding interior timber use across varying rural settings, allowing both abandoned and partially inhabited houses to be examined within a wider regional context. By treating interior timber use as a central element of rural heritage, this study aims to deepen the understanding of traditional domestic architecture in Kayseri and to offer insights into the material culture that has shaped rural life in the region.