Abstract:

Because one of the most important raw materials of soap is olive oil, soap houses are built in certain areas and centers with appropriate climate conditions where the olive tree grows. In fact, thanks to its widespread olive plants, sabotages have been established in Antakya, which has a rooted history in the production of olive and olive oil. In the 19th century, we realize that the soap manufactured in these structures contributed significantly to the commercial and economic life of the city from the slums, trade years, events and various works. Traditional soap is produced in the soap houses called "masmana" or "masbana" in Antakya. In this context, the ground floors of the two-storey structures consisting of tonic and belly parts, the raw materials preparation and cooking processes included soap caves, mines, costic swimming pools (smeda) and olive oils. The first layers where the processes of casting, cutting, stamping, drying and packaging of the soap are performed are wide open spaces. On the ground of these spaces are saboon patterns, while the fronts of the wooden curtains have added a characteristic feature to the saboon halls. With technological innovations, the transition to large facilities with a continental system of mass production has led to the abandonment of the soap houses and traditional soap production methods. In fact, this means that the art based on handwork that lasted thousands of years has disappeared. Therefore, the Antakya soap houses, formed by local influences, have a considerable importance in our industrial heritage.

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