Özet:

The surface research on rural settlements and urbanization we have been conducting in the eastern part of the Rough Cilicia region has yielded much evidence pertaining to houses with peristyles. We observed that these dwellings are often common to the rural settlements of Eastern Rough Cilicia. This study aims to evaluate collectively houses with peristyles identified in the rural settlements of the area and to examine the characteristics they have in common. Hence, the possible existence of a unique housing type designed specifically for the region and the conditions of the rural area will be discussed. The data at hand indicates that houses with peristyles in the area were used as farm villas during the Roman period. However, it appears that these dwellings were in use throughout various periods in the rural parts of the region. Significant differences in terms of function and layout have been identified between the houses with peristyles from the Roman period and their counterparts from Late Antiquity. Therefore, this study also aims to investigate when the housing typology with peristyles entered the region and how it evolved over time. The study will also address how this example of urban architecture was adapted to rural purposes and what sort of transformation it underwent throughout different periods. The obtained data indicates that houses with peristyles were widespread in the rural areas of Eastern Rough Cilicia region during the Roman period. These are large buildings of which similar examples are encountered in farm settlements. Comprised of a row of columns surrounding an open, central courtyard and units around it, this dwelling typology should be seen as the imprint of urban architecture in rural settlements and epitomizes landownership in these areas. The tradition also continues in Late Antiquity; however, the character and features of such dwellings change during this period.

Anahtar Kelimeler: