Exploring Symbolic and Temporary Spaces in Urban Rituals Using Fire as their Primary Component

Rituals are symbolic acts that allow individuals to connect their beliefs and values with the natural world. To establish this connection, these ceremonies often use the four primary elements of nature. Fire is one of them. In rituals, people use different forms and amounts of fire of diverse sizes. These usages of the fire formed different temporary spaces, creating symbolic meanings during the practice. This study aims to comparatively investigate the structure of these symbolic and temporary spaces in fire-based rituals in the urban space. To compare, we choose four different rituals: Hıdırellez, Anasteria, Las Fallas, and Burning Man, which occur in various locations and have different origins.