Problems Encountered in Tiles Used in Architectural Decoration: The Case of Historical Peninsula

Abstract

The Historical Peninsula is one of the oldest settlements in Istanbul, ruled by the Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman Empires and surrounded by the Bosphorus, Golden Horn, and Marmara Sea. 1985 it was included in the "World Heritage List" by UNESCO. Each street of the Historical Peninsula, which has become the center of commercial and cultural activities, has witnessed history and bears cultural traces. In the Ottoman and Republican Periods architecture in the Historical Peninsula, tiles ordered from Iznik or Kütahya were mostly used to decorate the buildings. Tiles, which we see mostly in religious architecture during the Ottoman period, started to be used in public spaces and residences at the beginning of the twentieth century. Neoclassical style is seen in the buildings of this period, which is called the First National Architecture Period. The tiles used on historical buildings' exterior or interior facades were ordered from Kütahya. The tiles were generally concentrated on the entrance facades of the buildings; they were used in different areas such as windows, door pediments, under the eaves, or as separate panels. In this study, the tiled buildings in the twentieth century Historic Peninsula were selected and limited according to the nature of the subject. The problems encountered by the tiles used in the decoration of the historical tiled buildings included in the scope of the study were discussed and suggestions were made for them.