In the traditional architecture of our country, the main building material is stone on the ground floors and the walls surrounding the courtyard. With this feature, our general architecture has been the subject of many researches in the world. In many areas where it is very difficult to find wood, the walls of the ground floor are generally stone and wooden frame system is installed on it. These first floors are mostly the main living areas.

In fact, stone is an important building material used in buildings and monuments since ancient times. The stones were processed and shaped in different ways depending on the place of use, the importance of the structure, the purpose of use, the size and the location. People there have been quite a traditional building material that always forms structures along with other building materials such as stone, brick or wood. Different types of stones in various parts of the structure and according to their characteristics, retained the architectural feature of each period.

The purposes of using stones in various structures can be classified in different ways. Bearing stones, for example, act as carriers in the structure directly. The walls of the building are built entirely of stone. Paving stones are used to coat a material used in the structure. Ornamental stones are used for decoration purposes in various parts of the structure. The use of stone as aggregate is in the production of concrete. The stone is crushed in different sizes and turned into sand or gravel and used in mortar or plaster mixtures.

As in history, today, stones are used in buildings in accordance with these purposes. The places where stones have been used throughout history are: building foundations, walls, slabs, stairs, window and door openings, windowsills, sills, grids, feet, columns, arches, vaults and domes.

Stones used as building materials are generally classified as rubble stone, rough sculpted stone, fine sculpted stone and cut stone. Rubble stones are untreated stones which are used as they come out of the quarry. When used, only the spikes are roughly trimmed. When these stones are used, wall lattices have a rough appearance. Coarse or fine chipped stones are shaped before use and have a smoother appearance when used. Cut stones, on the other hand, are the building blocks whose surfaces have been processed and put into a smooth shape.

Today, the usage areas and properties of stones in the building sector are included in the relevant legal regulations and standards published by domestic and foreign organizations. The qualifications of the stones according to the areas they are used are determined by tests performed in the authorized laboratories. Here are a few standards that are based on these tests:

• TS EN 771-5 Masonry units - Specifications - Part 5: Artificial stone masonry units
• TS EN 771-6 Masonry units - Specifications - Part 6: Natural stone masonry units
• TS EN 1467 Natural stones - Raw blocks - Specifications
• TS 2824 EN 1338 Concrete paving blocks for flooring - Requirements and test methods
• TS 436 EN 1340 Concrete curb stones for floor covering - Requirements and test methods
• TS EN 1341 Natural paving stones for exterior pavement - Features and test methods