Completed Projects

Objective : To gather an inventory of immovable cultural property in the settlements Birecik, Halfeti and Suruc and to publish the results of documentation.

Scope : To complete the drawings of plan, cross-section and frontal wiew of the structures documented as a part of the project in the settlements of Birecik, Halfeti, Suruc and to prepare the outcomes for publication after a definition of the structures and enrichment by a supply of maps and photos.

Present Situation : The project is complete and relevant information is available in GAP publications in both Turkish and English. These publications can be obtained from the Documentation Unit of the GAP Administration.

Objective : To protect historical and cultural properties in Mardin, particularly its architectural heritage and urban fabric and to stress the importance of these as valuable inputs for recent development of the city and for future generations.

Scope : The project was launched upon a protocol signed by the GAP Administration, UNDP and Istanbul Technical University in December 2000. The Swiss government contributed a grant of 350,000 US$ to the project. The project consists of socio-cultural researches, development of a rehabilitation implementation strategy and guide for the city center and realization of an implementation project in a pilot location, in Sipahiler Bazaar located at the old trade center of the city. This pilot work will lay the ground for the implementation of a series of other similar projects in other cities of the region and serve as a model.

• The survey (sociological) "Critical Analysis of Modes of Life in Mardin" is ready.
• All urban development plans produced for Mardin since 1962 and their annexes were covered by the project archive.
• Documentation as well as typology and morphology analyses regarding the urban architecture of Mardin have been completed.
• All photographs taken for the project were placed in archive.
• As a pilot implementation, restoration work for Sipahiler Bazaar was realized. This work yielded a small-scale environment weher one can see and shop for all local handicrafts in Mardin. The motive behind this initiative was to demonstrate the possibility of trade revival in the city to other traders and craftsmen and to provide income and employment to a least some local inhabitants. Also completed were the critical analysis of existing scale 1:5000 and 1:1000 Urban Development Plans of conservation.
• An analysis of urban services was made together with relevant policy recommendations.
• Training activities were conducted.
• The project led to the realization of following studies: "Identification of Old City Streets and Shelters"; "Analysis of a Monumental Building" (Zinciriye Medrese); "Analysis of the Architectural Features of Mardin Including a Part of the Old City and Trading Centre"; "Relief and Assessment of the Historical Trade Centre"; "Relief and Assessment of Zeyd Mosque, the Synagogue and the Old City" and "Relief and Assessment of the 'Red Church' and its Surroundings".
• The MERDINAR Building was restored and used as project and Local Agenda 21 Office. Civil society organizations were invited to the MERDINAR.
• One of the significant outcomes of the project as the establishment of "Mardin City Council" based on a participatory approach. Platform activities started in 2000 with the participation of various organizations, social groups, civil society organizations and professionals gained intensity with the start of the project. The civi platform now functions as "Mardin City Council."
• With the start of Mardin Participatory Urban Rehabilitation Project, promotion and tourism initiatives gained momentum and now there is sufficient infrastructure for the inclusion of the city in the "World Cultural Heritage List" of UNESCO.
• The original project documents recopied and one of the copy is opened for use at Mardin Municipality within the funds secured from United Nationals Development Programme.

Objective : Conducting assessments as to the geographical and spatial locations and present status of settlements in the GAP region that date back to the period extending from Paleolithic Age up to the end of the Bronze Age, which are already known; determination of the level of degradation on these settlements; promotion of these settlements at national and international platforms; publication of works on these assessments and findings, and maintaining the project so as to cover relatively more recent settlements as well.

Scope : To attain the objectives stated above, a protocol of cooperation was signed between the GAP Administration and the Foundation for the Conservation of Artistic and Cultural Heritage (TASK) on May 30, 2002. Within the framework of the protocol mentioned, activities were launched in June 2001. These survey activities comprised assessments relating to the geographical location of settlements, spatial positions and the level of damage that these settlements had suffered. Under the same project, findings of both earlier surface surveys and excavations and more recent scientific studies were gathered and documented visually.

Present State : The field work part of the project started on August 1, 2001 and was completed on October 31, 2001, giving the following results:

• Geographical and spatial positions and level of degradation on antique settlements dating back to the period stated earlier were determined,
• 388 such settlements were identified,
• Assessments of critical geographical positions through global positioning system (GPS) were completed.
• Work for publication is presently going on.

Objective : One of the aims of Southeastern Anatolia Project which is a human- focused sustainable development project is preservation of cultural heritage of the region. As an initial step of presenting the cultural heritage of GAP Region at the international level, assessing the cultural values in hand and emphasizing the importance of this cultural heritage from the perspective of tourism sector "The Symposium of Preservation and Promotion of the Cultural Assets in GAP Region" is organized.

Scope : The Symposium was held on June 2-5, 1998 in Sanliurfa with the participation of representatives of ministries and organizations at the national level, academicians, NGOs from national and international level and the representatives of media. A total of forty one papers have been presented by local and international experts on issues such as cultural values, cultural assets and tourism, cities and archaeological sites.

Present Situation : The papers presented in the Symposium were published by GAP-RDA in April 2000. The book titled "The Symposium of Preservation and Promotion of the Cultural Assets in GAP Region" can be obtained from the documentation Unit of GAP-RDA.