Research Article

Triumphal Arches (Tak) Architecture as a Temporary Architectural Device: A Study on Early Republican Period in Turkey Examples

Volume: 5 Number: 1 May 10, 2026
TR EN

Triumphal Arches (Tak) Architecture as a Temporary Architectural Device: A Study on Early Republican Period in Turkey Examples

Abstract

This article examines triumphal arches (TAK) erected on urban squares and main axes during the early Republican period in Turkey as ephemeral architectural elements, positioned between monument, gateway and decorative portal typologies. The conceptual framework is structured around ephemerality, monumentality, collective memory and nation-building, and interpreting these reads arches as both spatial interfaces and ideological communication devices. Methodologically, the study combines a literature review, archival documents, photographs and plan analyses; ceremonial arches in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Zonguldak, Diyarbakıir, Samsun and other cities are classified through a comparative analysis reading. Common formal features are evaluated under the headings of number of openings, vertical mass configuration, material and structure, colour and graphic language, and urban location. The findings indicate that Republican arches appropriate the archetypal scheme of ancient triumphal arches, yet translate discourses of modernization and national unity into space through the use of red–white colour codes, portraits of Atatürk, institutional emblems and numerical slogans. The article argues that these temporary yet highly representative installations should be documented and discussed as part of modern architectural heritage and reconsidered as an installation language that can inform contemporary urban design and commemorative practices.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Architectural Heritage and Conservation, Architectural History, Theory and Criticism

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

May 10, 2026

Submission Date

December 12, 2025

Acceptance Date

February 26, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 5 Number: 1

APA
Ciritci, İ. (2026). Triumphal Arches (Tak) Architecture as a Temporary Architectural Device: A Study on Early Republican Period in Turkey Examples. DEPARCH Journal of Design Planning and Aesthetics Research, 5(1), 15-34. https://doi.org/10.63673/DepArch.2026.43
AMA
1.Ciritci İ. Triumphal Arches (Tak) Architecture as a Temporary Architectural Device: A Study on Early Republican Period in Turkey Examples. DEPARCH. 2026;5(1):15-34. doi:10.63673/DepArch.2026.43
Chicago
Ciritci, İlke. 2026. “Triumphal Arches (Tak) Architecture As a Temporary Architectural Device: A Study on Early Republican Period in Turkey Examples”. DEPARCH Journal of Design Planning and Aesthetics Research 5 (1): 15-34. https://doi.org/10.63673/DepArch.2026.43.
EndNote
Ciritci İ (May 1, 2026) Triumphal Arches (Tak) Architecture as a Temporary Architectural Device: A Study on Early Republican Period in Turkey Examples. DEPARCH Journal of Design Planning and Aesthetics Research 5 1 15–34.
IEEE
[1]İ. Ciritci, “Triumphal Arches (Tak) Architecture as a Temporary Architectural Device: A Study on Early Republican Period in Turkey Examples”, DEPARCH, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 15–34, May 2026, doi: 10.63673/DepArch.2026.43.
ISNAD
Ciritci, İlke. “Triumphal Arches (Tak) Architecture As a Temporary Architectural Device: A Study on Early Republican Period in Turkey Examples”. DEPARCH Journal of Design Planning and Aesthetics Research 5/1 (May 1, 2026): 15-34. https://doi.org/10.63673/DepArch.2026.43.
JAMA
1.Ciritci İ. Triumphal Arches (Tak) Architecture as a Temporary Architectural Device: A Study on Early Republican Period in Turkey Examples. DEPARCH. 2026;5:15–34.
MLA
Ciritci, İlke. “Triumphal Arches (Tak) Architecture As a Temporary Architectural Device: A Study on Early Republican Period in Turkey Examples”. DEPARCH Journal of Design Planning and Aesthetics Research, vol. 5, no. 1, May 2026, pp. 15-34, doi:10.63673/DepArch.2026.43.
Vancouver
1.İlke Ciritci. Triumphal Arches (Tak) Architecture as a Temporary Architectural Device: A Study on Early Republican Period in Turkey Examples. DEPARCH. 2026 May 1;5(1):15-34. doi:10.63673/DepArch.2026.43

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