X
    Categories: 2017

Edinburgh heritage experts to help Turkey save historic buildings

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."

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.heraldscotland.com_news_15359889.A-5Fmonumental-5Ftask-5F-5Fexperts-5Ffrom-5FEdinburgh-5Fto-5Fwork-5Fin-5Fhistoric-5FTurkish-5Fcities-5Fin-5Fnew-5Fproject_&d=DwIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=OoxTvejWEnWcoFwqf_CmYYM9wo-OBTehf2GD2lWHCiM&s=IMpvdhzWiqKwIDWx7Hin6FH_31N1bbeGS-OSuisNsSA&e=
 

Markos Nalchajian:
Related Post