Abstract
Sermon Pulpit Decorations of the Central (Tonus) Mosque in Sivas Province Altınyayla District
There are 16 districts of Sivas Province which is located in the northeast of Central Anatolia Region. One of these districts is Altınyayla. Altınyayla district, which is 82 kilometers away from the city center, is on the east of the Sivas-Kayseri road. Altınyayla is an old settlement but there is no clear information about when and by whom it was established. Sivas Province Altınyayla District Central (Tonus) Mosque was built by Agha Ahmet to Craftsman Mahmut in hijri 1313 (1895-9). Altınyayla Central Mosque is the oldest mosque in the district and is an example of mosques with wooden pillars and ceilings in Turkish architecture. The tradition of making wooden mosques moved from Central Asia to Anatolia is known to be made by Ghaznavids and Karakhanids. The scope of this research consists of the ornaments of the sermon pulpit of Altınyayla Central Mosque. The sermon pulpit is a piece of wood material that uses the techniques of carving, pegging and pencil work all together. The pulpit is decorated with "S" and "C" folds, floral motifs in the vase, palmettes, rosettes, leaves and floral motifs. The pulpit decorations are examined in terms of color, motif, pattern, composition and technique. Decorations are documented with the support of photographs and detailed drawings, with which the present state of decorations has been determined. Cracks in the wooden main base, partial deterioration in decorations and colors are determined. It is seen that the needed importance is not given to the decorations on the sermon pulpit. No detailed study has been conducted on the sermon pulpit that has not been used today. That is why, it is important to carry out a documentation study with regard to bringing it into the literature for future generations.
Keywords
Wooden decoration, Altınyayla Mosque, Floral Painting, Sivas, Sermon Pulpit.
