Europalia Arts Festival Turkey: 'Archetypes'

Archetypes: Architecture in Turkey through the ages explores the so-called Turkish archetypes, born out of the tradition of Islamic art and philosophy. This exhibition is a journey through the diversity of morphology which retraces the positioning and proportionality between people and the space around them, expressed in Turkish architecture. It is, in other words, a unique reading of Turkish architectural history through various patterns and continuous exchange over the years.

The well-designed, impressive models are a substantial part of the exhibition as they bring to life magnificent architectural creations that have endured through the years. Archetypes is something like an ‘architectural geography,’ a mixture of cultural identities and co-existence of many civilizations blending over the years. The remarkable continuity of this architectural journey passing from the Byzantine to the Ottoman era and patterns is constructing the legendary narrative of Turkey as a whole.

From the typical Seljuk caravanserai — described as a huge square or rectangular building with high walls of local stone that spanned through the ancient trade routes of Anatolia — to the distinctive motifs of minarets and neighborhood architecture of the communities (mahalle in Turkish), the exhibition gives an in-depth approach to Turkish architecture and socio-cultural identity of the country through the ages.
By Ioanna Sakellaraki