Determination of the Acoustic Perfordmance of Yomra Kohalı Mosque Using Computer Simulation Method

İlban B., Kavraz M.

Kayseri Üniversitesi Mühendislik ve Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, cilt.2, sa.1, ss.40-47, 2026 (Hakemli Dergi)

Özet

Mosques are places where many people perform their religious activities together. In addition to high-capacity mosques serving the city scale, lower-capacity mosques serving neighborhoods and villages also hold important places in religious life. One such mosque is the Yomra Kohalı Mosque, a significant example of traditional rural mosque architecture in the Eastern Black Sea Region. Determining the acoustic performance of existing mosques, especially in the main prayer areas, is crucial for evaluating user comfort and ergonomics and identifying shortcomings. In this study, the architectural acoustic performance of the Yomra Kohalı Mosque was evaluated, and the evaluations were carried out using computer simulation techniques based on objective sound parameters. Physical acoustic measurements were taken at designated points in the mosque, and objective sound parameter values were obtained. The simulation results indicated that the reverberation time (T30) and EDT values were below the optimum range, whereas the C80 values exceeded the recommended optimum levels. In contrast, the D50 and STI values were found to be within the optimum range. These findings suggest that the acoustic performance of the space is well suited for speech-oriented activities but falls below the desired level for the recitation of the Qur'an in the maqam tradition. The architectural acoustic performance of the mosque was determined by comparing the optimum values with the values obtained in the simulation. In this study, sound absorption coefficients previously verified by physical acoustic measurement results were used.