Determination of In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Seismic Resistance of The Crown Gate of Harran Grand Mosque Using Limit Analysis Method

Ayşegül Demir; Arif Gürel; Recep Pekgökgöz

doi:10.17798/bitlisfen.1843217

Determination of In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Seismic Resistance of The Crown Gate of Harran Grand Mosque Using Limit Analysis Method

Abstract

Harran hosts ruins of numerous structures of great significance in the history of Islamic art and architecture. Among which one of the most prominent is Harran Grand Mosque, considered one of the oldest mosques of Islamic civilization. In the literature, it is noted that the mosque was destroyed as a result of the Mongol invasion and earthquakes. It was also observed that various parts of the mosque sustained damage during the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. In this study, in-plane and out-of-plane seismic resistance of the Mosque’s Crown Gate, which has survived to the present day despite all the mentioned adverse impacts, has been determined. For this purpose, both the Finite Element Method and the Limit Analysis Method were employed. During the application of the Limit Analysis Method, the Virtual Work Theorem was used. The analysis results indicated that the Gate can withstand a lateral seismic load of approximately 34% of its self-weight in the in-plane direction, whereas in the out-of-plane direction it can resist only about 19% of its weight. Consequently, it is understood that this unique surviving component of the Harran Grand Mosque has a moderate lateral seismic resistance in the in-plane direction, but its out-of-plane resistance is comparatively weak.

Keywords

References

A. Aslan, “Harran Ulu (Firdevs) Camii’nin İnşa, Genişleme ve Yıkılış Süreci,” Harran İlahiyat Dergisi, no. 46, pp. 55–72, Dec. 2021, doi: 10.30623/hij.1037032.
https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/kultur/restorasyonu-tamamlanan-tarihi-harran-ulu-cami-ziyaretcileriyle-bulusacak/3259581 (accessed Nov. 20, 2025).
K. Şulul, Erken Dönem İslam Mimarisi ve Harran Firdevs Ulucami. İstanbul: Yeditepe Akademi, 2021.
M. Önal, Bir Ömür Urfa: A. Cahit Kürkçüoğlu Armağanı. Ankara: Gece Kitaplığı, 2022.
M. M. Nasery, “Investigating of the Reasons for the Collapse on the Entrance Arches of the Harran Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami) During the Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes (Mw 7.7 and Mw 7.6),” Civil Engineering Beyond Limits, vol. 3, p. 1876, 2023, doi: 10.36937/cebel.2023.1876.
G. W. Housner, “The behavior of inverted pendulum structures during earthquakes,” Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, vol. 53, no. 2, pp. 403–417, 1963.
N. Makris and D. Konstantinidis, “The rocking spectrum and the limitations of practical design methodologies,” Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 265–289, 2003, doi: 10.1002/eqe.223.
L. Sorrentino, S. Kunnath, G. Monti, and G. Scalora, “Seismically induced one-sided rocking response of unreinforced masonry façades,” Engineering Structures, vol. 30, no. 8, pp. 2140–2153, 2008, doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2007.02.021.

A. Giordano, E. Mele, and A. De Luca, “Assessment of the seismic capacity of triumphal arches,” in Proc. Historical Constructions, Guimarães, Portugal, 2001, p. 983.
A. De Luca, A. Giordano, and E. Mele, “A simplified procedure for assessing the seismic capacity of masonry arches,” Engineering Structures, vol. 26, pp. 1915–1929, 2004.
Y. C. Galata, "Türk Damgalarına Anadolu’dan Bir Örnek: Harran Ulu Camii," Avrasya İncelemeleri Dergisi, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 137-159, 2022, doi: 10.26650/jes.2022.009.
R. İzol, O. F. Bayrak, A. Ilki, P. B. Lourenco, F. Avcil ve A. C. Altunisik, "Seismic behavior of historic square cross-section masonry minarets: The minaret of the Harran Ulu Mosque in Şanlıurfa (Türkiye)," Structures, vol. 82, p. 110504, Nov. 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.istruc.2025.110504.
M. M. Nasery, “Innovative strengthening techniques for the 1300-year-old Harran Grand Mosque minaret severely damaged in the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes (Mw 7.7 and Mw 7.6),” Engineering Failure Analysis, vol. 183, p. 110268, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.1016/j.engfailanal.2025.110268.
J. Heyman, “The stone skeleton,” International Journal of Solids and Structures, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 249–279, 1966.
P. B. Lourenço, “Analysis of masonry structures with interface elements: Theory and applications,” Delft University of Technology, TU Delft Report No. 03-21-22-0-01, June 1994.
P. Turgut, M. I. Yesilnacar, and H. Bulut, “Physico-thermal and mechanical properties of Sanliurfa limestone, Turkey,” Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, vol. 67, pp. 485–490, 2008, doi: 10.1007/s10064-008-0145-2
R. İzol, M. A. Gürel, Ç. Mollamahmutoğlu, and F. Avcil,“Evaluation of the Buttress System of a Great Ottoman Mosque Against Gravity Loads and Horizontal Seismic Forces: The Case of the Istanbul Süleymaniye Mosque,”Buildings, vol. 15, no. 8, p. 1360, 2025, doi: 10.3390/buildings15081360.
M. Tomaževič, Earthquake-Resistant Design of Masonry Buildings. London: Imperial College Press, 1999.
P. Roca, M. Cervera, G. Gariup, and L. Pelà, “Structural analysis of masonry historical constructions: Classical and advanced approaches,” in Proc. 8th Int. Conf. Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions (SAHC 2010), Shanghai, China, 2010.
G. Milani, P. B. Lourenço, and A. Tralli, “Homogenized limit analysis of masonry walls, Part I: Failure surfaces,” Computers & Structures, vol. 84, no. 3–4, pp. 166–180, 2006.
J. Heyman, “The safety of masonry arches,” International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, vol. 11, pp. 363–385, 1969.
B. Gunes, T. Cosgun, B. Sayin, and O. Ceylan, “Structural rehabilitation of a Middle Byzantine ruin and the masonry building constructed above the ruin. Part I: The ruin,” Engineering Failure Analysis, vol. 105, pp. 503–517, Nov. 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.engfailanal.2019.06.065.
ABAQUS/Standard User’s Manual, Version 6.5.1. Hibbitt, Karlsson and Sorensen Inc., 2004.
H. B. Kaushik, D. C. Rai, and S. K. Jain, “Stress-strain characteristics of clay brick masonry under uniaxial compression,” Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, vol. 19, no. 9, pp. 728–739, 2007.
P. B. Lourenço and A. Gaetani, Finite Element Analysis for Building Assessment: Advanced Use and Practical Recommendations, 1st ed. London, U.K.: Routledge, 2022. doi: 10.1201/9780429341564.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Structural Engineering

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Ayşegül Demir ^*
0009-0006-1567-4843
Türkiye

Arif Gürel
0000-0002-1046-4410
Türkiye

Recep Pekgökgöz
0000-0002-3083-2241
Türkiye

Publication Date

June 30, 2026

Submission Date

December 16, 2025

Acceptance Date

April 28, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 15 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17798/bitlisfen.1843217

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA96ED89RH

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Demir, A., Gürel, A., & Pekgökgöz, R. (2026). Determination of In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Seismic Resistance of The Crown Gate of Harran Grand Mosque Using Limit Analysis Method. Bitlis Eren Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, 15(2), 898-914. https://doi.org/10.17798/bitlisfen.1843217

AMA

1.Demir A, Gürel A, Pekgökgöz R. Determination of In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Seismic Resistance of The Crown Gate of Harran Grand Mosque Using Limit Analysis Method. Bitlis Eren Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi. 2026;15(2):898-914. doi:10.17798/bitlisfen.1843217

Chicago

Demir, Ayşegül, Arif Gürel, and Recep Pekgökgöz. 2026. “Determination of In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Seismic Resistance of The Crown Gate of Harran Grand Mosque Using Limit Analysis Method”. Bitlis Eren Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi 15 (2): 898-914. https://doi.org/10.17798/bitlisfen.1843217.

EndNote

Demir A, Gürel A, Pekgökgöz R (June 1, 2026) Determination of In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Seismic Resistance of The Crown Gate of Harran Grand Mosque Using Limit Analysis Method. Bitlis Eren Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi 15 2 898–914.

IEEE

[1]A. Demir, A. Gürel, and R. Pekgökgöz, “Determination of In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Seismic Resistance of The Crown Gate of Harran Grand Mosque Using Limit Analysis Method”, Bitlis Eren Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 898–914, June 2026, doi: 10.17798/bitlisfen.1843217.

ISNAD

Demir, Ayşegül - Gürel, Arif - Pekgökgöz, Recep. “Determination of In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Seismic Resistance of The Crown Gate of Harran Grand Mosque Using Limit Analysis Method”. Bitlis Eren Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi 15/2 (June 1, 2026): 898-914. https://doi.org/10.17798/bitlisfen.1843217.

JAMA

1.Demir A, Gürel A, Pekgökgöz R. Determination of In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Seismic Resistance of The Crown Gate of Harran Grand Mosque Using Limit Analysis Method. Bitlis Eren Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi. 2026;15:898–914.

MLA

Demir, Ayşegül, et al. “Determination of In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Seismic Resistance of The Crown Gate of Harran Grand Mosque Using Limit Analysis Method”. Bitlis Eren Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, vol. 15, no. 2, June 2026, pp. 898-14, doi:10.17798/bitlisfen.1843217.

Vancouver

1.Ayşegül Demir, Arif Gürel, Recep Pekgökgöz. Determination of In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Seismic Resistance of The Crown Gate of Harran Grand Mosque Using Limit Analysis Method. Bitlis Eren Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi. 2026 Jun. 1;15(2):898-914. doi:10.17798/bitlisfen.1843217