Panel 10. Paper 10.1: From Understanding to Action for Conservation and Sustainability of a Rural Heritage Place: Kemer, Turkey

Kemer Village, a historic rural settlement situated in western Anatolia, is a very good representative of rural heritage places of this geography. Well-preserved buildings and settlement tissue of the village, provide invaluable information about spatial and architectural features, construction materials and techniques common to this geography. However, upper scale agricultural production and settlement policies, as well as changing ways of living in time, lead to depopulation, discard, alteration and even destruction of Kemer Village. Besides the physical aspects, its intangible aspects, like local living traditions, beliefs, rituals and indigenous knowledge, are also under the risk of disappearing. Although the population of the village decreased significantly in time, there are still inhabitants and local masons living in the village. Thus, it becomes possible to understand the factors, processes and dynamics of change in this rural settlement, so as to be able to define policies, strategies and actions for the conservation and sustainability. Although the common tendency to provide an economic development to prevent depopulation of the rural historic areas is to bring touristic activities, this decision disturbs the integrity of social and physical environment. In Kemer Village this tendency has not been initiated yet. Therefore, Kemer Village is on the border of being abandoned or being a touristic destination. This presentation explains the rural architectural and settlement features of the historical village of Kemer Village, together with indigenous knowledge on living and building traditions, resources and processes. It also discusses the factors, processes and dynamics affecting Kemer Village as an historic rural settlement, and consequently, proposes principles, policies, strategies and actions for the conservation and sustainability of rural heritage place by including all the decision makers, inhabitants and experts to the shared decision-making process

Anadolu’daki geç antik ve bizans dönemi surlarının yapım tekniği ve malzeme bakımından incelenmesi: Ankara ve İznik.

This research aims to investigate building techniques and materials in the Late Antique and Byzantine fortifications of Anatolia through the selected case studies of Ancyra/Ankara and Nicaea/Iznik. The majority of Late Antique and Byzantine fortifications in Anatolia are distinguished by ashlar masonry, including quantities of spolia, with alternating courses of brick. The frequent appearance of brick, in combination with more-or-less regularly cut blocks or spolia, in the buildings and fortifications of Anatolia from the Late Roman through to the Byzantine periods (particularly from the ninth century onwards) creates difficulties in offering a precise dating for these structures. The citadel of Ankara, in terms of construction technique and materials, finds one of its closest parallels in the fortifications of Iznik. The major modification to the walls of Iznik, originally built in the third century AD, is attributed to Michael III, or precisely to the year 858 by the inscriptions. The eighth and ninth century phases of the walls of Iznik are characterized by rich quantities of spolia alternating with bands of brick. Similarly, the rebuilding of the inner circuit of the Ankara fortifications, built of large blocks of spolia up to a height of eight-to-ten meters, capped above by alternating courses of brick and rubble stone, is attributed to the year 859. The rebuilding of the walls of both Ankara and Iznik were included in a large-scale program of fortification by the Emperor Michael III (842-867). A close examination of these two fortifications will help us understand the development of the variations in ashlar masonry and spolia, in combination with brick, and shed light on dating and restitution issues, assisting in determining appropriate conservation approaches, in other Late Antique and Byzantine fortifications in Anatolia.M.Arch. - Master of Architectur

From Understanding to Action for Conservation and Sustainability of a Rural Heritage Place: Kemer, Turkey

Kemer Village, a historic rural settlement situated in western Anatolia, is a very good representative of rural heritage places of this geography. Well-preserved buildings and settlement tissue of the village, provide invaluable information about spatial and architectural features, construction materials and techniques common to this geography. However, upper scale agricultural production and settlement policies, as well as changing ways of living in time, lead to depopulation, discard, alteration and even destruction of Kemer Village. Besides the physical aspects, its intangible aspects, like local living traditions, beliefs, rituals and indigenous knowledge, are also under the risk of disappearing. Although the population of the village decreased significantly in time, there are still inhabitants and local masons living in the village. Thus, it becomes possible to understand the factors, processes and dynamics of change in this rural settlement, so as to be able to define policies, strategies and actions for the conservation and sustainability.Although the common tendency to provide an economic development to prevent depopulation of the rural historic areas is to bring touristic activities, this decision disturbs the integrity of social and physical environment. In Kemer Village this tendency has not been initiated yet. Therefore, Kemer Village is on the border of being abandoned or being a touristic destination.This presentation explains the rural architectural and settlement features of the historical village of Kemer Village, together with indigenous knowledge on living and building traditions, resources and processes. It also discusses the factors, processes and dynamics affecting Kemer Village as an historic rural settlement, and consequently, proposes principles, policies, strategies and actions for the conservation and sustainability of rural heritage place by including all the decision makers, inhabitants and experts to the shared decision-making process