Bee Houses as a Rural Construct: Sampling from Konya, Türkiye

Abstract

Within the historical and geographical continuity of beekeeping culture, a rural building typology has developed for the storage of hives and use of bees. The bee house structures, also known as apiaries and function as shelters used by bees to produce honey are unique and distinctive components of the rural context. The architecture of these structures can be examined in a typological framework through their tectonic qualities as they differ in terms of material, construction logic, and architectural design. This study addresses the bee house as a rural architectural type and interprets the typological reading by examining the structural construct and logic of this building type through the concepts of “tectonic” and “syntax”. To illustrate the discussion, a group of bee houses identified and documented in the field surveys conducted in rural areas within the borders of Konya province in Turkey are introduced and contextualized; typology is prepared by classifying the documented sample according to construction techniques. For comparison, Antalya examples which set the basis of the typology are briefly mentioned.