A Comparative Research on Space of Women in Prayer Place Interiors of Celestial Religions: Cases from Istanbul

Abstract

Cross-cultural comparison has been used in architecture mostly to discuss the components of culture, knowledge, and value systems, yet to date there is not a specific comparative study on gendered architecture in prayer places of celestial religions, namely Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Hence, this study aims to reveal how attendance of women in prayer places with different national, historic, religious, and cultural characteristics shaped architectural space organization and to assess potential similarities and differences of women’s section in prayer spaces of celestial religions by examining literature survey, archival and historic research, including field observations. In addition to general observations in building scale, some exemplary historic synagogues, churches, and mosques in Istanbul still in use have been chosen as case studies, and their plan typologies, as well as types and locations of women’s galleries/sections have been discussed. Cross-cultural comparison parameters were; development of women’s section in prayer places as a structured architectural space and basic architectural terminologies used to define women’s section. The major conclusion of the study is that originally women had right to worship in prayer spaces without any physical separation in all three religions, yet in time the place of women had a more defined/divided/structured character especially in Islam and Judaism. The study also indicates that while at present day, gendered architecture is still the predominant approach in Islam and in Orthodox Judaism; mix congregation in a single-unsegregated space for both sexes is more common in contemporary society of Christianity.