Cultural Heritage and Semiotic Interpretation: The Case of Süleymaniye Mosque
Abstract
One of the most critical responsibilities of a society’s members is to preserve cultural heritage. At this point, ‘awareness’ is critical. It means keeping, promoting, and transferring cultural values, which play a vital role in forming social reality, cultural identity, and consciousness. However, to realize the acts of preservation, promotion, and transmission, it is a must to know, experience, and comprehend the heritage. We call it a consciousness-raising activity, contributing to forming individual’s identity and national consciousness. Hence, individuals can comprehend themselves, fundamental values of the society, importance of being a nation through cultural heritage, and transfer it to future generations. The significance of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of the Süleymaniye Mosque one of the most important cultural heritages in the world. In the study, the main internal and external structural features that make the magnificent artwork meaningful, the relational value of the elements contributing to the integrity of the architecture, its semantic universe, and reflections of each formative elements on human life are examined regarding surrounding/surrounded, form/substance, vertical/horizontal dichotomies within semiotics.
Keywords
Süleymaniye Mosque, semiotics, semantic universe, architectural structure, cultural heritage
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