PROBLEMS AND

STRATEGIES OF
RESTORATION IN
TURKEY
SELEN ORTA
GENERAL STATISTICS
Public libraries………………............................................................. 62
Theatres…………………………………………………………………..189
% of public green space (parks and gardens)…………………….2.2%
Number of other Heritage/Historical sites………………………38,292
Art galleries………………………………………………………………199
Number of international students studying in the city ……….14,072
Museums/galleries attendance - % working age population
attending at least once a year …………………………………….90.0%
Number of visits to 5 most visited museums & galleries…8,948,092
Number of international tourists per year………………….11,842,983
 Istanbul has an ancient and diverse history as a meeting point between
East and West, Asia and Europe.
 Inhabited since the Neolithic period, it became the city of Byzantium
after Greek settlement in the 7th century BCE. Renamed
Constantinople in 330 CE, it was successively the capital of the Roman,
Byzantine and Ottoman Empires.
 After the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, Ankara became
the capital of Turkey, but Istanbul remains at the center of Turkish
economic and cultural life.
 Istanbul has benefited from Turkey’s vibrant economy, one of the
fastest growing in Europe. One of its major challenges is dealing with
the consequences of that growth, developing the infrastructure to
accommodate its new residents while retaining access to green space,
water resources and a high quality of life.
 New transport links are an important part of the city’s infrastructure
development. The Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, the Marmaray Tunnel
and the Eurasia Tunnel all connect Istanbul’s European and Asian
halves across the Bosphorus Strait. In addition a third city airport is
opened in 2019. It is one of the world’s largest, with a capacity of 200
million passengers per year.
PROTECTION OF MONUMENTS

 Ottoman Empıre – Foundation System

 Protecting the monument and historical specifications
 Getting rid of the additions
 Repairing the original building
 Approaching limit
 Protecting the historical buildings of other religions and
adapting them to Islam
 VENICE - 1964

«historical culture heritage consept not only covers a

architectural heritage, it also includes simple heritages,
urban or rural establishments that had been a wtiness to a
certain civilization, an important development or an historical
event»
PROTECTION GROUPS
I. GROUP
Heritages that must be protected as it is because of their
architectural and historical importance.

II. GROUP
Heritages that must be protected because of their exterior
architecture. They can be modified as long as exterior
architecture is protected.

III. GROUP
Heritages whose owners does not accept to be in second group,
therefore sent to the council with relievo to be decided.
PROBLEMS AT PLANNING STAGE

 Institutional problems
 Timing problems
 Regulation problems
 Problems on collecting the data
 Technical staff problems
 Problems on relievo, restitution and restoration plans
 Problems on approval of the plan
 INSTITUTIONAL PROBLEMS

 Different timing and application process of institutions

 Bidding problems
 Not using the bidding process at totalitarian approach
TIMING PROBLEMS

 Generally short time span for the project

 Not using a certain method on technical specifications
and contracts to estimate the time
 Since the time is kept short, analysis is not done
effectively, not reaching all the parts
 Unforeseen problems on timing – Physical boundaries
REGULATION PROBLEMS

 Definitions in regulations are insufficient

 Definitions in international regulations are not covered
in national regulations like industrial heritages
 Uncertainity on budget terms in regulations therefore
institutions does not get enough budget for
restorations
 Sanctions not defined effectively, therefore causing a
decrease in the effect of the regulation
PROBLEMS ON COLLECTING DATA

 Archives are not kept orderly, causing difficulties on reaching

data
 Some archives are still not digital
 No qualified personel for archival storage
 No common archive system between institutions
TECHNICAL STAFF

 Generally no qualification for the staff at technical

specifications
 Economic reasons
 Changing staff
 Work overload for economical reasons
PROBLEMS ON RELİEVO, RESTİTUTİON
AND RESTORATİON PLANS

 Conservation report and damage analysis are not applied

effectively to the plan
 Scaffolding
 No database for heritages, not reaching the knowledge
 Function requested not in compliance with the building at
restoration stage
 Pressure on councils
 Structural defects are hided by people using the building with
mostar, therefore causing the damage estimated wrongly

Additional Information: Med-Art project

NUSRETİYE MOSQUE
Neighbour to Roman bath built on 4-5th century
16th century Ottoman buildings
Historical fountain – 17th century
Watch tower – 18th century
It was on coastside, but no more because of fillings.
3 floors;

Infrastructure floor
Ground floor
Gallery floor
Because of road construction,

Fountain brimmed over

Hall of the mosque gets smaller
Facade damaged
SWOT ANALYSIS ON RESTORATION

STRENGTH
WEAKNESS
OPPORTUNITY
THREADS
 SWOT AIMS TO DETERMİNE CRITICAL FACTORS THAT
CAN AFFECT THE SUCCESS OF HISTORICAL
MONUMENT AND CAN BE USEFUL ON STRATEGICAL
DECISIONS THAT TIDES THE MONUMENT TO ITS
ENVIRONMENT.

 THEREFORE, SWOT ENSURES THE DEFINITION OF THE

DESIGN INA CLEAR WAY AND ENLIGHTS A WAY FOR
DESIGN SOLUTIONS.
SULTAN KASIM CASE

15th century
One of the largest buildings in Mardin
Restoration on 1964

Restoration on 1990

Restoration on 2016
Birth
Baby
Child
Youth
Old age
Heaven and hell
 SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Transportation: Transportation:
It can be reached by airway or road, No efficient infrastructure on roads for
boundary city. emergency situations, incompliance
between the planning and investment on
transportation
Population: Population:
Majority of population is young. High increase rate of population
Mass migration
City view: City view:
It adds a richness to the city view On areas where is a high density of
historical monuments, high of the building
is defined by law.
Interventions: Interventions:
Right interventions can set an example Wrong interventions may damage the
for other buildings building
Evaluation of design: Evaluation of design:
With planned designs, there can be some Incompliance of designed and applied
beneficial applications around the building functions
madrasah
OPPORTUNITIES
Value:
Architecture with the cultural and
historcal values may be inaccordance
with city
Economy:
Tourism revenue gets higher while
protecting the historical texture of the city. be placed aside which would cause
Essence of the building:
With right renovations, essence of the
building can be taken to a higher level
Interventions:
Innovative interventions can lead the way Wrong interventions may give some
for new methods
Evaluation of design:
With functions gained, madrasah can be
protected and hand down to the next
generations.
THREADS
Value:
Wrong repair and intervantions may set a
bad example for other buildings.
Economy:
If money is the issue, conservation can
deficiency.
Essence of the building:
If materials that is not appliable according
to the texture is used, view and confirmity
of the building can be affected in a bad
way
Interventions:
irremediable damages
Evaluation of design:
If the design is not made with caution,
historical city texture may be affected