Cliff
A steep rocky slope descending sharply toward the sea or a valley. Building on a cliff site means engaging the view directly while respecting the terrain's slope and ground stability. In MEEZ Mimarlık's Falez Villa, the building reaches out from the site on a cantilever rather than simply sitting on it.
Also available in:Türkçe (Falez)·الجرف
How does a cliff form?
Waves erode a rocky coast at its base. As the notch cut at the foot of the slope deepens, the rock mass above collapses and the coast retreats. That is why cliffs are erosional coasts; as they retreat they leave in front of them a shallow, water-covered floor flattened by wave erosion, called an abrasion platform[1]. In Turkish, falez is also called yalıyar; the word comes from the French falaise.
Where are cliffs found in Turkey?
High, rocky erosional coasts are found in Turkey along the eastern and western Black Sea and the Antalya coast[1]. When assessing a plot on the eastern Black Sea coast, the idea of a cliff can therefore matter directly.
Cliffs and the coastal edge line
A cliff also sets a legal boundary: on narrow, high coasts the coastal edge line is the top edge of the slope or cliff[2]. The cliff face counts as the coast, where as a rule nothing may be built; buildings go behind this line, in line with the coastal strip rules. See our coastal edge line article for details.
Frequently asked questions
What is a falez?
Falez is the Turkish word for a cliff: a steep, rocky coastal slope formed by wave erosion. Its other Turkish name is yalıyar.
Can you build a house on top of a cliff in Turkey?
On narrow, high coasts the coastal edge line is the top edge of the cliff; a house can be built behind this line in line with the coastal strip rules. The approved coastal edge line map shows the exact position.
Sources
Articles that use this term
Other terms
- Brutalism
- Mass Optimization
- Rational Plan
- Asymmetric Façade
- Site Plan
- Schematic Design
- Zoning Status
- Building Permit
- Cantilever
- Landscape Design
- Land Parcel
- Floor Area Ratio
- Soil Survey
- Retaining Wall
- Coastal Edge Line
- Construction Supervision (Yapı Denetim)
- Urban Transformation (Kentsel Dönüşüm)
- Site Coverage Ratio (TAKS)
- Title Deed (Tapu)
- Independent Unit (Bağımsız Bölüm)
- Condominium Ownership (Kat Mülkiyeti)
- Occupancy Permit (İskân)
- Alteration Permit (Tadilat Ruhsatı)
- Building Class (Yapı Sınıfı)