Tipografi Yoluyla Kültürel Mirasın Dijitalleştirilmesi: Bodrum Kalesi’ndeki Rodos Şövalyeleri Yazıtları Örneği

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 1 Sayı: 10, 538 - 557, 27.09.2025

Sinem Ünal Gerdan

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17169663

Öz

Bu makale, Bodrum Kalesi’nde Rodos Şövalyeleri dönemine ait yazıtların tipografik bir bakış açısıyla belgelenmesini ve dijital ortama aktarılmasını konu almaktadır. Epigrafik yazıtlar yalnızca tarihsel belgeler değil, aynı zamanda tipografik estetik taşıyan görsel formlar olarak ele alınmıştır. Araştırma, tasarım araştırması (Research by Design) yaklaşımıyla yürütülmüş; yazıtların fotoğrafik belgelenmesi, harf varyasyonlarının analiz edilmesi, vektörel çizimle yeniden üretilmesi ve açık kaynak bir yazı karakteri tasarımına dönüştürülmesi süreçlerini kapsamıştır. Bulgular, yazıtların geometrik yapısı, sembolik işaretleri ve gotik–rune benzeri estetiğinin çağdaş tipografi normlarına uyarlanabileceğini göstermektedir. Bu doğrultuda geliştirilen “Rhodes Font”, tarihî sadakati korurken okunurluk ve erişilebilirlik ilkelerine uyum sağlayan çağdaş bir dijital yazı karakteri olarak önerilmektedir. Çalışma, tipografi araştırmaları ile kültürel mirasın korunması arasında disiplinlerarası bir köprü kurmakta ve gelecekte çok dilli, üç boyutlu ve artırılmış gerçeklik destekli uygulamalar için bir model sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Tipografi , Kültürel Miras , Epigrafi , Dijital Yazı Tasarımı , Bodrum Kalesi

Digitizing Cultural Heritage Through Typography: The Case of the Knights Hospitaller Inscriptions at Bodrum Castle

Öz

This article examines the documentation and digitization of inscriptions from the Knights Hospitaller period at Bodrum Castle through a typographic perspective. The epigraphic inscriptions are considered not only as historical records but also as visual forms carrying typographic aesthetics. The research was conducted using a Research by Design approach, encompassing the processes of photographic documentation of the inscriptions, analysis of letterform variations, reproduction through vector drawing, and transformation into an open-source typeface design. Findings demonstrate that the geometric structure, symbolic signs, and Gothic–rune-like aesthetic of the inscriptions can be adapted to contemporary typographic norms. Accordingly, the “Rhodes Font” developed within this study is proposed as a contemporary digital typeface that preserves historical fidelity while adhering to the principles of legibility and accessibility. The study establishes an interdisciplinary bridge between typographic research and cultural heritage preservation, offering a model for future multilingual, three-dimensional, and augmented-reality-supported applications.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Typography , Cultural Heritage , Epigraphy , Digital Font Design , Bodrum Castle

Kaynakça

• Bringhurst, R. (2004). The elements of typographic style (3rd ed.). Hartley & Marks. Castle and Underwater Archaeology Museum. (2025). Bodrum, Türkiye [Unpublished museum field note].
• de Jong, C. W. (Ed.). (2009). Type: A visual history of typefaces and graphic styles, 1628–1938. TASCHEN.
• Gill, E. (2013). An essay on typography. Penguin Books. (Original work published 1931)
• Kocaturk, T., Mazza, D., McKinnon, M., & Kaljevic, S. (2023). GDOM: An immersive experience of intangible heritage through spatial storytelling. Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage, 15(4), Article 59, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1145/3498329
• Možina, K., et al. (2019). Blaznic typeface digitization. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 36, 166–173. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1296207418303613?via%3Dihub
• Muğla Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum. (2025). Knights Hospitaller section information text [Photograph by Sinem Ünal Gerdan]. Bodrum, Türkiye.
• National Library of Scotland. (2024). Exhibition panels on the Gutenberg printing press and early typography. Edinburgh, Scotland. [Photographs by Sinem Ünal Gerdan].
• Parsons, T. (2021). Design documentation and dissemination on Behance. Design Studies Journal, 42(3), 211–220.
• Parsons, A. (2021, December 21). Behance vs. Dribbble: Which platform is better for artists? MUO. https://www.makeuseof.com/behance-vs-dribbble-best-platform-for-artists/
• Sanders, B. (2013). A is for ox: Violence, electronic media, and the demise of literacy (Turkish ed.: Öküzün A’sı Elektronik Çağda Yazılı Kültürün Çöküşü ve Şiddetin Yükselişi). Ayrıntı Yayınları.
• Taluğ Demiriz, D. Y. (2023). The role of typography in graphic design and practices on phobias [In Turkish]. The Journal of Social Sciences. https://sobider.com/?mod=makale_tr_ozet&makale_id=68190#
• TC Ministry of Culture and Tourism, General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums. (2025).
• Ünal Gerdan, S. (2025). Photographic documentation of the English Tower inscription panel, Bodrum [Photograph].
• Internet Sources
• Chadwick, W. (2007). Women, Art and Society, Fourth Edition, London: Times & Hutson Ltd.
• Choiseul-Gouffier, G. F. A. de. (1782). Voyage pittoresque de la Grèce. J.-J. Blaise. Retrieved August 7, 2025, from https://eng.travelogues.gr/item.php?view=44509
• Codex 99. (2009, March 18; updated 2011, December 29). The Trajan inscription. Typographia Historia. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from http://www.codex99.com/typography/21.html
• In Design With FontForge. (2025). What is a font? Retrieved June 20, 2025, from http://designwithfontforge.com/en-US/What_Is_a_Font.html
• FontForge Project Contributors. (2015). What is the FontForge Project? Retrieved August 5, 2025, from https://fontforge.org/en-US/project/
• Google Fonts. (2025). Readability & accessibility. In Fonts Knowledge. Retrieved August 22, 2025, from https://fonts.google.com/knowledge/readability_and_accessibility
• Britannica.com. (2025) “What is epigraphy?”, https://www.britannica.com/topic/epigraphy
• Bodrum Belediyesi. (2025). Bodrum Kalesi. Retrieved August 5, 2025, from https://www.bodrum.bel.tr/page.php?id=20/bodrum_kalesi
• Microsoft Learn. (2020). A brief history of TrueType – Typography. Microsoft. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/truetype/history
• Muğla Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum. Retrieved July 4, 2025, from https://kvmgm.ktb.gov.tr/TR-44072/mugla-bodrum-sualti-muze-mudurlugu.html
• The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2025, July 29). Elgin Marbles. In Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved August 24, 2025, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Elgin-Marbles
• The anatomy of type. (2023). Tumblr. Retrieved August 12, 2025, from https://typeanatomy.com/
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (2016). Bodrum Castle – Tentative list entry. UNESCO. Retrieved August 11, 2025, from https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists
• NTV Belgesel. (2024, August 20). Antik çağdan izler taşıyan Bodrum Kalesi – Ayrıcalıklı Rotalar [Video]. Retrieved August 1, 2025, from YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=[VIDEO-ID]
• Predicting the Past | Contextualising, restoring, and attributing ancient texts. (2025). Ithaca. Retrieved August 9, 2025, from https://predictingthepast.com/aeneas
• Image Source
• Figure 1. Trajan Column Type Close-up Source: Casa Mediterráneo | Institución pública para el conocimiento mutuo entre España los países mediterráneos. (n.d.). Retrieved August 5, 2025, from https://casa-mediterraneo.es/en/home/about-us/logo/
• Figure 2. The anatomy of type Source: The anatomy of type. (2023). Retrieved August 20, 2025, from Tumblr. https://typeanatomy.com/
• Figure 3. The port and castle of Saint Peter, Bodrum Source: Choiseul-Gouffier, G. F. A. de. (1782). Voyage pittoresque de la Grèce. Paris: J.-J. Blaise. Retrieved August 11, 2025, from https://eng.travelogues.gr/item.php?view=44509
• Figure 4. The English Tower of Bodrum Castle Source: Ünal Gerdan, S. (2025, July 31). Bodrum Castle, English Tower [Author’s own photograph].
• Figure 5. FLVIS ESALZE inscription Source: Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum. (2025). Field photograph of inscription, Bodrum Castle [Photograph by Sinem Ünal Gerdan].
• Figure 6. The elements of typographic style Source: Bringhurst, R. (2004). The elements of typographic style (3rd ed.). Hartley & Marks.
• Figure 7. Bodrum Castle Wall Script Source: Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum. (2025). Field photograph of inscription, Bodrum Castle [Photograph by Sinem Ünal Gerdan].
• Figure 8. Digitization process of the “Rhodes Script” font Source: Ünal Gerdan, S. (2025). Rhodes Script font design process [Author’s own photographs].
• Figure 9. Rhodes Script Source: Ünal Gerdan, S. (2025). Rhodes Script designed in Adobe Illustrator [Author’s own design].
• Figure 10. The Letter A Source: Ünal Gerdan, S. (2025). Design of the letter A in Rhodes Script [Author’s own design].
• Figure 11. The Letter M Source: Ünal Gerdan, S. (2025). Design of the letter M in Rhodes Script [Author’s own design].
• Figure 12. The Letter S Source: Ünal Gerdan, S. (2025). Design of the letter S in Rhodes Script [Author’s own design].
• Figure 13. FontForge application: Typeface conversion process Source: Ünal Gerdan, S. (2025). FontForge application – typeface conversion process [Author’s own screenshot].