History of Architecture

Head of History of Architecture Department: Asst. Prof. Dr. H. Sencer Erkman

The history of architecture is the history of the built environment, created by transforming nature from the moment human beings conceive of themselves as a spatial entity. This process is, in a sense, the story of the culture of life that man's effort to live in harmony with the universe brings to him. In the spatial continuity extending from the singular architectural structure to the urban environment, architecture becomes a cultural environment that appeals to the social imagination as a result of living in a community rather than being a living shelter. Architecture is the carrier of the social memory that keeps the consciousness of being a society alive. For this reason, it is meaningful to recognize the architecture of the past and to preserve it with care. Architectural history research and knowledge is a field of knowledge in which values that do not change over time are understood and recorded. The mission of the discipline of architectural history is to introduce the values of architectural culture to today's designers and enable them to assimilate these values. The Department of History of Architecture is the director of the cultural courses that form the theoretical infrastructure of architecture in architectural education, where design knowledge is discussed from various perspectives. For this reason, it creates a cultural base that feeds the disciplines of construction technology and restoration, especially architectural project courses for space design. The vision of the Department of History of Architecture is to contribute to the development of design students' cultural equipment as well as their sensitivities, to create awareness on protection of historical environment in the context of ethical and aesthetic values, and to instill the responsibility for the creation of a meaningful and beautiful architectural environment.