CONTINUATION OF PAINTED DECORATION ORNAMENTAL MOSQUE TRADITION: GUZELYURT TAHTALI MOSQUE IN DENIZLI-CAMELI

Abstract

In the studies conducted in recent years, examples showing that mosques with painted decoration and having quite plain architecture, which had a wide area of usage among public in Denizli and nearby cities, particularly in rural regions, continue to nowadays after the Republic period, have been encountered. One of these examples where the ornamentation comes into prominence instead of the architecture is Denizli Cameli Guzelyurt Tahtali Mosque. Construction date of Tahtali Mosque in Guzelyurt quarter of Cameli district of Denizli is 1956 and its ornamentation date is 1961. Besides the dates recorded within the ornamentation panels, placing name and hometown of the craftsman and miniaturist is a quite different implementation. In addition, it is also highly remarkable that these information are written on very apparent places, big in size and in Turkish characters, indeed, this is an implementation not encountered in mosques of Ottoman period. Guzelyurt Tahtali Mosque is highly similar to late period mosques with painted decoration in terms of its sizes, materials, inner and outer roofing system and mostly for its ornamentations. The mosque, being different from the mosques with painted decoration built in Ottoman period, is a structure with a rectangle in depth plan without naves sitting on wooden columns. Painted decorations are encountered on the south front of last communion place and sanctuary of the mosque. The ornaments of Guzelyurt Tahtali Mosque diverged from each other via the writ strip on its east and west walls, the writ strip did not continue on south and north walls of the mosque. While sometimes ornaments were framed with panels, they were placed in a free style sometimes. The ornaments of low and high levels on north walls diverge from each other with women's gathering-place. They were organized in three levels on the south wall. Mihrab of the mosque we examine was ornamented in a quite attentive way as similar with the mosques of the Ottoman period with painted decoration. Within the painted decorations which were made with madder, far from perspective and in a miniature style brushing technique was used, however, printing technique was also used in the least on these ornaments. In conclusion, although Guzelyurt Tahtali Mosque differs from the mosques we encounter in Ottoman Empire's last periods, especially in rural regions in and around Denizli with its plan, it is a continuation of the tradition of mosques with painted decoration started in the second half of 18th century and kept ongoing in 19th century. The mosque, despite of the difference on its plan type, shows a high similarity with the late period mosques in respect to its small size structure, vertical rectangle space it covers, straight wooden covered ceiling, inclined roof covered with tiles and material. In addition to this, with its two dimensional painted decorations made with madder, representing a certain period, consisting of plantal, geometric, writ, architectural depictions and symbolic motifs it is very important to show that mosque ornamentation tradition of Ottoman late period was continued by public after the Republic period as well.