Assessing Cultural Values of Landscapes: From Knowledge to Action for Historic Rural Landscapes in Turkey

L'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen

Protecting landscape as a network of relations: Challenges and perspectives in the case of Imerhev (Meydancik) Valley, Turkey

Identifying and protecting a network of relations is challenging since it deals with natural and social processes, but it is essential for a comprehensive understanding of landscapes. Rural areas are the best representatives of networks of relations in landscapes due to direct interactions with nature through economic activities and traditional socio-cultural practices. However, today, rural landscapes encounter forces leading to major changes. In order to overcome these forces, a landscape approach is required to provide integrated, unitary and comprehensive approaches in identification, protection, management and planning of landscapes. Imerhev Valley is selected as a case study. It has multiple values characterized by traditional practices, but is encountering forces of change both in its natural and cultural landscape. In this regard, this paper first describes the landscape as a network of relations and applies the approach to the selected case study. As the second step, the paper focuses on the dynamics and drivers of change. Finally, the paper identifies key issues of challenges that have to be addressed in protecting landscape values

Panel 10. Paper 10.2: Contradictions Between Local Values and Top-down Conservation Priorities: Taşkale, Turkey

Taşkale village, located on a valley, has been formed by having direct relations with nature within its own dynamics. In its historical continuum, there has always been active and continuous use of places even though functions change in time. The initial settlement starts in rock-cut spaces, then the settlement moves towards the slope of the valley in front of the rock formation. The rock formation has been used for various purposes of inhabitation, storage and worshipping since prehistoric times onwards. The church carved in the rock is still in active use today as a mosque and the rock-cut granaries are used to store agricultural products. The surrounding landscape is also actively used by the inhabitants for agriculture and husbandry purposes. In addition to the active use of the landscape, there are strong intangible relations by inhabitants with nature and their living environment. This is mainly because ongoing life is dependent on nature both for economic and socio-cultural activities. To conclude, Taşkale Village embraces multiple historical, cultural, socio-economic and spiritual values. However, after the recognition of these multiple local heritage values, conservation site decisions are designated by the central government. Even though these decisions are given for the sake of conservation, the regulations prevent the daily use of these places and abide the conservation actions into set of rules that are contradicting with the ongoing local lifecycle. Besides, state visions about development and economic-benefit oriented tourism policies affect the physical and also socio-economic structure of the village. In the end, contradictions occur between the local values and top-down conservation and development priorities. Due to these contradictions, the inhabitants, who are the active users and guardians of their living environment start to abandon these places, mainly because they cannot continue their daily life activities. Consequently, these places are degraded and lost in time. Within the content of this paper, contradictory values and priorities between locals and decision makers that affect the future of the rural landscapes will be open to discussion deriving from the experiences learnt from the case of Taşkale Village

From Multi-Ethnic Origin to Nation-State: Oblivion Heritage and Its Tangible and Intangible Remains in the Black Sea Region (Pontos Euxeinos), Turkey

The Black Sea Region in Turkey has always been an attraction point due to its geographical characteristics and geopolitical location. Being the place of trade, hidey-hole place of immigration, place of attraction for western travellers, The Black Sea Region has embraced multi-ethnic existence with multi-layered socio-cultural and economic relations during its history. However, this multi-ethnic origin, which has left various tangible and intangible traces in its landscape, is in state of oblivion in today’s nation-state. Even though fewer traces of multi-ethnic presence in the physical environment have remained, its continuity can still be seen in daily life and traditional acts and activities, languages and dialects, songs and festivals, dress and finery, place and human names. Likewise, this has always shaped the physical environment; its architecture and space organisation. In this regard, the paper focuses on multiple heritage derived from its multi-ethnic origin. It investigates the tangible and intangible remains of this multiplicity in the region to reclaim its history and heritage. In the end, the paper discusses this controversial albeit oblivion heritage in the case of the Black Sea Region in Turkey

Tarihi Kırsal Peyzaj Alanlarında ‘Habitat’

Tarihi kırsal peyzaj alanları çok katmanlı değerlere sahip insan ile doğa arasındaki etkileşimin izlerinin fiziksel, sosyal ve kültürel çevrede doğrudan gözlemlenebildiği özel alanlardır. Bu alanlar insanlığın ilk yerleşim alanları olması itibariyle kültürün, geleneksel aktivitelerin ve yerel kimliğin ortaya çıktığı alanlardır. Yüzyıllar boyunca devam eden yaşama aktivitelerin sonucunda üretilen geleneksel bilginin kaynak alanlarıdır. Aynı zamanda yerel üretiminin merkez noktalarını oluştururlar. Çok çeşitli ve çok katmanlı değerler taşıyan bu alanlar, bugün çeşitli tehditlerle karşı karşıya kalmaktadırlar. Birçok anlamda savunmasız olan tarihi kırsal peyzaj alanları bu tehditlerden doğrudan etkilenmekte ve fiziksel ve sosyo-kültürel çevre hızla değişmeye başlamaktadır. Bunun sonucunda da yerel değerler, karakteristik özellikler, kültür, gelenek ve yerel kimlik yok olmaya başlamaktadır. Tüm bunlar dikkate alındığında, bu çalışma öncelikle tarihi kırsal peyzaj alanlarının doğa, kültür, insan gibi tüm bileşenleriyle anlaşılması ve kültürel değerlerinin tanımlanmasına odaklanır. Daha sonra karşılaşılan problemlere yönelik peyzajdan öğrenilen bilgiler doğrultusunda yerin kendi dinamiklerine uygun öneriler geliştirmeyi amaçlar