Milel ve Nihal, 14 (2), 2017 doi:10.17131/milel.377641 Titus Burckhardt ve Mimaride Dini Sembolizm İsmail TAŞPINAR ∗ Titus Burckhardt and Religious Symbolism in Architecture Citation/©: Taşpınar, İsmail, (2017). Titus Burckhardt and Religious Symbolism in Architecture, Milel ve Nihal, 14 (2), 160-174. Abstract: Titus Burckhardt, was one of the most famous Traditionalist philosop- her in the last century. He devoted his life to the study and exposition of the different aspects of Wisdom and Tradition. Burckhardt was one of the most remarkable exponents of universal truth, in the realm of metaphysics as well as in the realm of cosmology and of traditional art. This article aims to explain some aspects of his approach to the architecture in general and the Islamic architecture especially. The ‘unity’ is the principal dimen- sion of the Islamic architecture. According to Burckhardt, the Kaʿba is the very primordial architecture on the earth that has an cosmologic symbo- lism. It has literally central importance for its architecture. Every Muslim faces the Kaʿba to recite the canonical prayers, and every mosque is accor- dingly orientated in this direction. For Burckhardt, the non using of image or as he says the ‘aniconism’ is also one of the most exeptional part of Islamic art and architecture. According to him, the aniconism preserves the primordial dignity of man, whose form, ‘made in the image of God’; on the other hand, nothing that could possibly be an idol, may interpose itself between man and the invisible presence of God. Key Words: Titus Burckhardt, Traditionalist, Islamic architecture, symbolism, aniconism. ∗ Prof. Dr., Marmara Üniversitesi, İlahiyat Fakültesi, Dinler Tarihi Anabilim Dalı [itaspinar@marmara.edu.tr]