Titus Burckhardt and Religious Symbolism in Architecture

Abstract

Titus Burckhardt, was one of the most famous Traditionalist philosopherin the last century. He devoted his life to the study and exposition ofthe different aspects of Wisdom and Tradition. Burckhardt was one of themost remarkable exponents of universal truth, in the realm of metaphysicsas well as in the realm of cosmology and of traditional art. This articleaims to explain some aspects of his approach to the architecture in generaland the Islamic architecture especially. The ‘unity’ is the principal dimensionof the Islamic architecture. According to Burckhardt, the Kaʿba is thevery primordial architecture on the earth that has an cosmologic symbolism.It has literally central importance for its architecture. Every Muslimfaces the Kaʿba to recite the canonical prayers, and every mosque is accordinglyorientated in this direction. For Burckhardt, the non using of imageor as he says the ‘aniconism’ is also one of the most exeptional part ofIslamic art and architecture. According to him, the aniconism preservesthe primordial dignity of man, whose form, ‘made in the image of God’; onthe other hand, nothing that could possibly be an idol, may interpose itselfbetween man and the invisible presence of God.

Özet

Titus Burckhardt, Gelenekselci Ekole mensup en önemli filozoflardan biridir.Araştırmalarını Hikmet ve Geleneğin metafizik boyutları ve onlarınsanat ve mimarideki tezahürleri üzerinde yapan Burckhardt, düşünceleriniİslam sanatı ve mimarisindeki çalışmalarıyla ortaya koymuştur. MakaledeBurckhardt’ın Gelenekselci sanat bakış açısına göre mimari yapılara dairg.rüşleri ele alınmaktadır. Burckhardt’a göre, İslam mimarisinin enönemli özelliği, ‘birlik’ yani ‘tevhid’ sembolizmi dayalı bir yapıya sahip olmasıdır.Kabe, İslam’ın ilk mimari yapısı olması hem de sembolizmi bakımındanmerkezi bir öneme sahiptir. Burckhardt, İslam dini mimarisindeözellikle ikonalara yer verilmemesini Tanrı ile insan arasında hiçbir varlığınyer alamayacağını ifade eden ‘anikonizm’ ya da ‘ikonasızcılık’ olaraktanımlamaktadır

Keywords: Titus Burckhardt, Gelenekselcilik, İslam mimarisi, sembolizm, anikonizm