Biophilic wisdom of the thirteenth and fourteenth century Seljukians’ Mosque architecture in Beyşehir, Anatolia

Abstract

Modern life is becoming disconnected from nature. Yet many scientific studies suggest that people feel better at places where they can engage with nature, or in places designed with nature in mind. This study is about Biophilia, one of the new design trends that connects the built environment to nature. The studies conducted in this field show that the existing historical buildings are fascinating thanks to their biophilic characterization. The basic idea of this research suggests that this effect is high in the thirteenth and fourteenth-century's buildings in Anatolia which are influenced from admiration of nature in the Sufism belief in Seljuks. Within this scope, the conformity with the biophilic criteria was determined to examine by the Esrefoglu Mosque, Bayindir Mosque and Kosk Mosque. Esrefoglu Mosque, in particular, was found to be a reference building in terms of biophilic design and the reason behind that is its harmony with nature.