The Herald (Glasgow) June 21, 2017 Wednesday Edinburgh heritage experts to help Turkey save historic buildings by: Phil Miller SCOTLAND is to export some of its heritage expertise to two ancient Turkish cities whose historic buildings are at risk of being ravaged by conflict. The team of monument experts from Edinburgh World Heritage (EWH) will use their conservation prowess built up over decades to document at risk buildings in south-east Turkey over the next three years. Both cities date back to Roman and Byzantine times and are dominated by stone-built architectural masterpieces - not unlike those found in Edinburgh's Old Town. Perched on a rocky hill is Mardin. It is crowned by a citadel and includes Syriac buildings brimming with Muslim heritage and Armenian churches. The other, Diyarbakir, has been on the World Heritage list since 2015 and lies in the area of Sur, which is bustling with ancient mosques, churches, inns, madrasas and bazaars. In 2015 large parts of Sur were damaged in a three-month clash between the Turkish army and Kurdish militants. Diyarbakir is considered the unofficial capital of the Kurdish area of Turkey and has been centre of recent conflict between Kurds and the Turkish army and police. In November 2015, Tahir Elci, a prominent lawyer, spoke at the foot of a 500-year-old monument in Diyarbakir that had been damaged by armed clashes, and made a plea for the protection of the city's unique cultural heritage. During the speech he was assassinated - shot as he spoke at the Four Legged Minaret of the Sheikh Mata Mosque. Professor Eva Sarlak, of the Turkish cultural body, the Külturel Mirasi Koruma Dernegi (KMKD) said the cities are home to a "diverse cultural heritage that has suffered as a result of recent conflict and political uncertainty". "Many historic buildings and neighbourhoods, much loved by the local community, are in a very poor state of repair, and risk being lost," she said. "This project is a first for Turkey." Hollywood film The Monuments Men depicted rescues of art treasures during wartime but in this real initiative, backed by a £1.2million pot from the British Council's new Cultural Protection Fund, the Edinburgh team will work to inform local stonemasons and architects about preservation techniques while creating a comprehensive Building at Risk Register. Adam Wilkinson, director of EWH, said the project was not about imposing Western methods on Turks, but sharing ideas and collaborating with local groups on the best methods to aid the two cities' heritage. He said he hoped it would the beginning of a long relationship between the Turkish cities and Edinburgh. Mr Wilkinson added: "Helping to protect cultural heritage at risk is important not only in Edinburgh, but also in the world's conflict zones. "In both Mardin and Diyarbakir, the historic buildings and archaeology are a daily reminder of the richness and diversity of the region's culture, and must be preserved for current and future generations."
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