Ornamented Wooden Doors of Gokbel Village Houses

The neighborhoods belonging to the Yatağan district of Muğla are generally known as Gökbel villages. Gökbel is the general name for the mountain range located on the Aydın border of Yatağan. These places, referred to as the Gökbel villages, are Zeytinköy, Gökgedik, Turgutlar, Kırıkköy, Hacıveliler, Hacıbayramlar, Hisarardı, and Katrancı. As these villages are mostly located in mountainous areas, they are rich in wood supplies. In this regard, the wooden ornaments in the interior equipment elements of the houses were made using carving, relief, openwork, and engraving techniques. Wooden ornaments are generally concentrated on the entrance doors of rooms. The doors are divided into three vertical panels, each decorated with botanical, geometric, and figurative motifs. The vertical panels were also divided horizontally into smaller panels, which were joined together using mortise and tenon techniques. Local craftsmen decorated the panel surfaces according to the wishes of the homeowners and their economic status. In this study, eight neighborhoods from the Gökbel region are included. One sample was taken from each neighborhood, limiting the research to a total of eight doors. It aims to prevent the disappearance of the room doors of these unregistered houses, promote the works of traditional craftsmen, and pass on cultural identity to future generations.