An Investigation on the Effects of Architectural Features on Acoustical Environment of Historical Mosques

Abstract

In the historical period, different mosques were built in the Anatolian side; the differences in size, typology and style were affected by the climate conditions, cultural and social aspects, availability of materials and the construction techniques of the region they were built in. The ceiling structure, which is the most influencing factor for mosque acoustics, is designed with either curvilinear elements or a flat ceiling for mosques. In the context of our case study, the eight historical mosques in Turkey, with different materials and types of ceiling structures, are investigated in terms of acoustical characteristics in the main prayer hall. Acoustical data are collected by measurements to reveal how the formal differences and material change in ceiling structures affect the acoustic environments of mosques with similar volume. Distribution of acoustical parameters and the suitability of the values obtained through measurements are compared to reflect the effect of architectural features on the acoustical characteristics of the prayer hall.

An Acoustic Reconstruction of the House of Commons, c. 1820–1834

“…While the size and the architectural layout of the seating area are comparable with the House of Commons in the 1820s, the tiled floor and the vaulted ceiling make the space more reverberant, as is also found with examples of different ceiling designs in mosques [45], and as presented in T30 and EDT values shown in Figure 12…”

Effects of plaster choice on conservation of the original acoustical character of historical mosques

“…In other words, the study focuses on the change of mortar properties and its effects on the acoustical environment of the prayer hall. This question is an outcome of previous studies (Yelkenci Yelkenci Sert and Yılmaz Karaman, 2021) that held around 30 historical mosques built in Western Anatolia.…”

“…Architectural features are also another parameter that affects the acoustical environment. Dimensions, plan typology and ceiling structure with dome are the main architectural elements that constitute the acoustical environment of the prayer hall as well as building materials and construction techniques in historical mosques (Kitapçı and Çelik Başok, 2021;Yelkenci Sert and Yılmaz Karaman, 2021). It can be said that the dome geometry and excessive volume of the prayer hall are important factors in the acoustical environment of historical mosques.…”

Research on the Acoustic Environment of Heritage Buildings: A Systematic Review

“…Nowoświat et al [55] used acoustic measurements to evaluate the reverberation time of the domed sacrament chamber of the Pentecostal Church in Katowice, Silesia, Poland, and proposed a scheme of applying spray-on insulation to the inner surface of the dome for acoustic modification; this scheme effectively improves the reverberation conditions inside the church. Sert et al [56] collected the acoustic data of eight Turkish Anatolia historical mosques by comparing the different materials and types of ceiling structures of the distribution of acoustic parameters and measured values of suitability, revealing the ceiling structure difference and material change to the same volume, which influenced the acoustic environment of the mosques. Rubacha et al [46] studied the changes of acoustic parameters in the interior before and after changing armchairs of Maria Zankovitska, a theater in Lviv, after reconstruction, calibrated Hall's numerical model with measured parameters, and calculated reverberation time T20 and the speech transmission index (STI) to evaluate the acoustics effect of the hall with an audience present.…”