‘Rural Architecture In The Eastern Black Sea Region’ at Milli Reasurans Art Gallery
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
FEATURE
The gallery has prepared an extensive exhibition with the photographs of Ali Konyalı and a 256-page book on the rural architecture of the eastern Black Sea region
BERÄ°L AKTAÅ~^
ISTANBUL – Turkish Daily News
Milli Reasurans Art Gallery in Istanbul is currently presenting a
exhibition of photographs of the eastern Black Sea region by Ali
Konyalı.
Milli Reasurans Art Gallery Director Amelie Edgu and Professor Afife
Batur from Istanbul Technical University have organized the exhibition,
complemented by a book, on the little-known eastern Black Sea region
with the aim of helping people understand the significance of its
culture, architecture and lifestyle.
Batur says the following about their project: “Under the guidance of
Professor ReÅ~_at Sumerkan from Karadeniz Technical University, we have
explored the most significant and interesting spots. With his camera,
or rather his insightful eye, Ali Konyalı took many photographs
and did the graphic design for the book. Professor Å~^engul Oymen
Gur from the Karadeniz Technical University faculty of architecture
contributed with her valuable treatise on the cultural components
of Black Sea architecture. Dr. Sumerkan added drawings to produce a
documentary catalogue of the most typical buildings.”
The “Rural Architecture in the Eastern Black Sea Region” exhibition,
with Edgu and AyÅ~_e Gur as curators, opened June 27 at the start
of the 5th Congress of the International Organization for Modern
Asian Architecture.
The 256-page book “Rural Architecture in the Eastern Black Sea Region”
contains more than 500 photographs and an introduction by Professor
Batur. Professor Å~^engul Oymen Gur wrote an analysis of the culture
of the region: old peasant houses, Armenian and Georgian churches and
old wooden mosques. People still speak the Laz language, Old Greek,
Armenian and Georgian in this area once known as Pontos.
Curator Edgu says the “conference/book/exhibition” combination will
make great contributions to the awareness of Turkish architecture
and overall promotion of Turkey.
The exhibition can be viewed through Aug. 1 at the Milli Reasurans
Art Gallery. Suha Arın’s film titled “Eastern Black Sea Region:
Old Houses, Old Craftsmen” is also being screened during the exhibit.
—-Box—
Settlements and houses in the eastern Black Sea region:
Professor Afife Batur
The scattered settlements of the eastern Black Sea region usually
consist of groups of a few houses built on a mountain slope used by
the members of the same family. Occasionally there is a distance of
one or two kilometers between them.
The scenery is breathtaking, with the steep slopes of the mountains
stretching to the sea, countless hills and tiny settlements of only
a few houses on the slopes, or individual houses lost in the woods
and greenery.
The real excitement, however, is to be found at the end of a rough
footpath leading to one of these houses. The first glance may create
an impression of homogeneity, yet an insider’s view combined with an
analytical approach are enough to discern architectural variety and
differences between settlements.
The majority of the houses in the eastern part of the region are
made exclusively of wood. Besides the charming beauty of the houses,
the skillfully constructed barns located at the ground floor of the
rear section should not be neglected.
Made exclusively of stone, the barns consist of two partitions on a
corridor. Each partition is vaulted with three or four arches. Called
a “bridge” in local dialect, barn arches are as wide as those of the
outer hall. Partitions are covered by wood in order to protect the
health of animals. Troughs for fodder and waste are also wooden.
–Boundary_(ID_xK2dvK5GZOnOwY1ZrtsMwA)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress