On the trail of traditional Turkish neighbourhood and houses: Analysis of the rural settlement of Sadagi in Orhaneli

Abstract

As global resources dwindle, the significance of traditional rural settlements becomes ever more pronounced, serving as a crucial component of humanity's shared heritage. The Orhaneli district and its villages in Bursa province offer a rich field of research, particularly in uncovering the architectural and cultural characteristics of the Turkish house. The Ottoman Empire, which ruled for centuries over a vast geographical area including Anatolia and the Balkans, was founded in and around Bursa, its first capital. Consequently, the earliest examples of settlements within the empire can be found in this region. The Sada & gbreve;& imath; neighbourhood of the Orhaneli district, which forms the subject of this study, is post-dated to a period prior to the conquest of Bursa. This settlement was established by the Turkmen (Y & ouml;r & uuml;k) population, who played a fundamental role in the foundation of the Ottoman Empire. Houses formed the core of the settlements of the Ottoman period. These dwellings incorporated traditional materials and methods, local culture and identity, climatic conditions, and local construction techniques, reflecting a traditional extended family lifestyle. In this study, the rural settlement of Sada & gbreve;& imath; was examined using a combination of historical research methods and field studies. Overall, the Sada & gbreve;& imath; neighbourhood is representative of traditional Ottoman-Turkish settlement characteristics.