Evaluation of Monumental Mosque Buildings Belonging to the Anatolian Seljuk Period in Konya in Terms of Energy Efficiency

Abstract

Monumental mosques are valuable elements of religious and cultural heritage and Islamic architecture. In this respect, creating an inventory of monumental mosque buildings, and documenting and preserving them have great importance. Konya has hosted many civilizations throughout its history and the city has preserved its importance for many years as the capital of the Anatolian Seljuk Civilization. It has many valuable monumental buildings built during the Seljuk and Ottoman periods and has been an architectural center throughout its history. In this study, mosques belonging to the Anatolian Seljuk Period in Konya, one of the most important main centers of Turkish-Islamic culture and art in Anatolia, were handled. Mosque buildings are characterized by intermittent working hours and represent a central area where people gather for daily and weekly prayers. Mosques are also considered a place for educational, cultural, and social activities. The comfort of the user in a religious building is important for a sense of sacred worship. In this direction, providing the comfort conditions in the interior space in an energy-efficient method is important and should be handled. In this context, this study, it is aimed to create and document the inventory of monumental mosques and to research the mosques in terms of energy efficiency. Architectural design properties and construction techniques of mosques were explained and energy analyses were made by using the DesignBuilder simulation program. The relationship between architectural design properties, built periods, and the energy demands of mosques were handled. Considering the limitations of studies in this field, this study in which monumental Islamic architecture was evaluated in the context of energy efficiency is important. It is aimed to show the importance of monumental religious buildings in terms of energy efficiency, and this study is pioneering and will light on future studies.