Turkic people were among the long-established nations of the world and lived across a vast geographical area. Turkic people who had a nomadic type of societal life generally lived on live stock farming. Animal style of art came into play in communities which had nomadic lifestyle in Central Asian steppes. In Central Asian traditions, animal style of art encountered us as the point of departure of bird descriptions. In association with Shamanism which was the belief system of steppe culture, it was believed that birds offered protection. Steppe animal cult appeals to the Turkish nomadic spirit. In conjunction with Sky God (Tengri) belief, Turkic communities in Central Asia acknowledged that the bird acted as the representative of Tengri and served as the symbol of goodness, abundance, power and heroism. Especially the eagle signifies the sovereignty in Turkish mythology. Under the influence of their religious beliefs and the geographical area which they inhabited, Turkic people who lived on steppes bequeathed crucial works of art in which animal style was utilized. In Turkic art, bird figure was applied to the plaster, stone and tile in structures such as palaces, fortresses, madrasas, shrines and mosques. In the article, before analyzing the bird figure in Turkic architectural ornamentation art, the focus was placed on symbolism of bird and the place, meaning and descriptions of bird across from Central Asia to Anatolia. The aim of the study is to examine the bird figure which is one of the naturalist animal motifs set out to be used more rarely after conversion to Islam and to highlight its place and importance in Turkic architectural ornamentation. While the relevant literature was being reviewed, the situation determination of examples was made by analyzing articles and researches composed on different dates.
Primary Language | Turkish |
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Journal Section | Research Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | September 30, 2020 |
Acceptance Date | July 13, 2020 |
Published in Issue | Year 2020 Volume: 8 Issue: 22 |