Spatial Analysis of Traditional Ayvalık Houses

Abstract Architecture is a combination of economic, political, and cultural developments and as a result of this fact, it is reflective of the social life based on the specific characteristics of the period. The reflection of historical and cultural values in traditional architecture is significant in terms of obtaining historical facts. Traditional structures carry examples of architectural heritage to the future; especially socio-cultural changes have an impact on architecture. In this study, the traditional residential architecture of Ayvalık district in the province of Balıkesir-Turkey, which carries the traces of the 19th century history in a socio-cultural and economic sense, is shown. Ayvalık is a district that provides examples of architecture, and that carries to the present day the 19th century social life with its traditional structures, where there are different economic, cultural and ethnic structures, and which boasts natural features as a result of the diversity formed by these different structures. It is observed that the district has increased its locational value even more recently thanks to its historical texture, commercial areas, and touristic facilities. In this regard, the aim of this study is to reveal in a spatial manner the traditional residential architecture shaped by the geographical, social, cultural, and architectural features of Ayvalık. In the study, approximately 20 houses built in different periods of the Ottoman Empire have been examined within Ayvalık’s urban fabric, and spatial analyzes of 4 traditional houses have been made in the context of “space, facade, construction” features. Finally, the current status of the houses has been revealed with the transformation of the historical and cultural heritage resulting from traditional structures.