Housing Types in the Old Gediz Town

Özet

The town of Eskigediz is located in the Inner West Anatolia section of the Aegean Region. Administratively, it is attached to the province of Kütahya. The town is situated approximately 91 km from the Kütahya city center and 7 km from the Gediz district. The research area of the study is in a region that has been under the sovereignty of various civilizations since historical times. In terms of settlement characteristics, the town has frequently been exposed to flood disasters throughout history due to its location on the edge of a valley. Moreover, geologically, it lies within a seismic zone. Consequently, earthquakes of varying magnitudes occurred in the region until 1970, causing loss of life and property. During the most recent major earthquake in 1970, severe damage was inflicted upon the houses, rendering many uninhabitable, further exacerbated by subsequent fires. Following a decision by the Council of Ministers in 1970, the district of Eski Gediz was relocated 7 km to the south and re-established as a new district named Gediz. The two-story wooden residences in the town of Eskigediz, which bear traces of numerous civilizations, were placed under protection in 2001. The vast majority of the dwellings in the study area comprise wooden houses. While some of these wooden dwellings have been restored, there is a need for the restoration of the remaining structures. It has been observed that the town of Eskigediz holds tourism potential through the promotion of these dwellings, which reflect the civil architectural characteristics of the Ottoman civilization, and through the development of pension (guesthouse) activities. Another type of dwelling found in the area consists of modern, generally two or three-story houses, which were built in limited numbers after the earthquakes using entirely contemporary building materials.