Triumphal Arches (Tak) Architecture as a Temporary Architectural Device: A Study on Early Republican Period in Turkey Examples

Abstract

This article examines triumphal arches (TAK) erected on urban squares and main axes during the early Republican period in Turkey as ephemeral architectural elements, positioned between monument, gateway and decorative portal typologies. The conceptual framework is structured around ephemerality, monumentality, collective memory and nation-building, and interpreting these reads arches as both spatial interfaces and ideological communication devices. Methodologically, the study combines a literature review, archival documents, photographs and plan analyses; ceremonial arches in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Zonguldak, Diyarbakıir, Samsun and other cities are classified through a comparative analysis reading. Common formal features are evaluated under the headings of number of openings, vertical mass configuration, material and structure, colour and graphic language, and urban location. The findings indicate that Republican arches appropriate the archetypal scheme of ancient triumphal arches, yet translate discourses of modernization and national unity into space through the use of red–white colour codes, portraits of Atatürk, institutional emblems and numerical slogans. The article argues that these temporary yet highly representative installations should be documented and discussed as part of modern architectural heritage and reconsidered as an installation language that can inform contemporary urban design and commemorative practices.