The Oikoi Building at Labraunda through Time: Function, Transition, and Continuity

Year 2025, Issue: 90, 11 - 42, 30.07.2025

Çağla Durak , Cem Ardıl

Abstract

The Oikoi building at Labraunda, with its two rooms and tetrastyle in antis porch, represents a unique architectural and cultural monument in the sanctuary of Zeus Labraundos in ancient Karia. Built during the Hecatomnid dynasty, it reflects both the religious and political ideals of the dynasty, blending Karian, Greek and Persian traditions. Over the centuries, the building has undergone various transformations, adapting to different functions. Using epigraphic, architectural and historical analysis, this study examines the changing function, construction techniques and stylistic characteristics of the building, as well as comparative analyses of similar structures. The findings highlight the building's role as a multifunctional space, potentially serving as an unusual prytaneion, religious space, and storage facility, while later modifications align it with Late Antique centralizing movements seen in church architecture. The research underscores the enduring significance of the building as a testament to its Hecatomnid heritage and the dynamic interplay between form, function and cultural identity.

Keywords

Karia , Labraunda , Hekatomnid , Oikoi , Late Antiqutiy , Architecture , Early Byzantine , Building Materials , Western Anatolia , Asia Minor

Labraunda'daki Oikoi Binası: İşlev, Değişim ve Süreklilik

Abstract

Labraunda'daki Oikoi binası, iki odalı ve önündeki dört sütunlu verandasıyla antik Karia'daki Zeus Labraundos kutsal alanında eşsiz bir mimari ve kültürel eseri temsil etmektedir. Hekatomnid hanedanlığı döneminde inşa edilen yapı, hanedanlığın Karya, Yunan ve Pers geleneklerini kaynaştırarak hem dini hem de siyasi idealleri yansıtmaktadır. Yüzyıllar boyunca yapı, farklı işlevlere uyum sağlayarak çeşitli dönüşümler geçirmiştir. Arkeolojik, mimari ve tarihi analizleri kullanan bu çalışma, benzer yapıların karşılaştırmalı değerlendirmelerinin yanı sıra yapının değişen amacını, yapım tekniklerini ve stilistik özelliklerini incelemektedir. Bulgular, yapının alışılmışın dışında bir prytaneion, dini alan ve arşiv, olarak hizmet veren çok işlevli bir yapı olarak rolünü vurgularken, daha sonraki modifikasyonlar onu kilise mimarisinde görülen Geç Antik Çağ merkezileşme hareketleriyle uyumlu hale getirmektedir. Araştırma, yapının Hekatomnid mirasının ve biçim, işlev ve kültürel kimlik arasındaki dinamik etkileşimin bir kanıtı olarak kalıcı öneminin altını çizmektedir.

Keywords

Karia , Labraunda , Hekatomnid , Oikoi , Geç Antik , Mimari , Erken Bizans , İnşa Malzemeleri , Batı Anadolu

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