THE CULTURE OF ADOBE USAGE IN ANATOLIA

In long history of Anatolia, usage of adobe as a material of building goes to 6000- 5000 BC. In archaeological excavations in Anatolia such as Catalhoyuk and Yumuktepe, it is found that early Anatolians made adobe bricks for their houses. They also made their castles, temples and public buildings of adobe. Houses were mostly built side by side in rectangular. It continues to build houses in Middle and East Anatolia in the same technic using adobe bricks. Adobe technic is not only a way of building houses but it is also a living style. All people get together while building an adobe house in a village. lt looks like a ceremony, singing songs and helping each other. As non-in modern life, one can rarely attend in such a sincere gathering. People who live in adobe buildings are conscious that Anatolia is a land of earthquakes. Everyone knows that, wrongly built adobe buildings easily collapse after a serious earthquake. Many colleges make researches to increase the technics of building and materials and try to teach people who still insist to live in adobe houses. As a fact, adobe buildings are part of our architectural heritage. As other main technics, such as timber, stone or masonry, it must be protected. In many songs, poems, tales, proverbs and novels adobe is generally the main subject. That creates a great culture besides being a material of village people. As a poet says: You will make my grave with adobe, but later people will use it as bricks making homes.