Erzurum Culture Road Project: Historic Fabric Revived in 14 Years

Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality has been carrying out the "Culture Road Project" for approximately 14 years. With the expropriation, restoration, and landscaping works carried out within the scope of the project, the city's historic fabric has been brought back to light.

Erzurum, one of Eastern Anatolia's significant historical and cultural centers, has hosted many civilizations. Historic structures dating from the early years of the Republic, Ottoman, Seljuk, and Saltukid periods have been brought into tourism through the ongoing works.

Shantytowns around the historic structures were removed. The structures were restored in accordance with their original form. Routes connecting the historic sites were created, significantly altering the city's silhouette.

The Culture Road Project has been continuing in phases for 14 years. Extensive arrangements were made in historic areas around the Twin Minaret Madrasa, Yakutiye Madrasa, Erzurum Castle, Ulu Mosque, and Üç Kümbetler (Three Tombs).

The visibility of historical artifacts increased with works supervised by the Department of Urban Aesthetics. A holistic cultural route was created, allowing visitors to explore the structures on foot.

Zafer Aynalı, Secretary General of the Metropolitan Municipality, stated that Erzurum has an ancient tradition. He noted that the city has hosted many civilizations over thousands of years.

Aynalı stated that significant efforts have been initiated in the last 14 years to revive the city's almost lost historical identity. He explained that all shantytowns around the historic Erzurum Castle were expropriated.

Aynalı said that the first two phases of the Culture Road Project, initiated to reveal the city's historic structures, have been completed. He added that the third phase is ongoing.

"When we cleared the shantytowns, only our historic and registered buildings remained here. We restored those that had been deformed. We rebuilt those that were completely demolished in accordance with their original form. In central Erzurum, we had 137 historic and registered structures. We completed the restoration of approximately 22 of these, assigning some the function of a museum and others a workshop. They are currently actively operating. We have traditional handicraft workshops, a handicraft mansion, a language and literature mansion, a second-hand bookstore, a city archive, and a cartoon workshop."

Aynalı stated that visitors to the city can explore this area and have different experiences in the workshops. He added: "Most importantly, here, we both keep alive and experience the old traditional handicrafts of our ancestors, our grandfathers, our forefathers, and we pass these arts on to future generations."

Aynalı stated that work on the city's historic structures is ongoing. He noted that all works are meticulously carried out after being submitted to the Cultural Heritage Preservation Board.

Aynalı pointed out that the works also contribute to tourism revenues. He noted:

"After these services, we see an increase in both domestic and foreign tourist numbers. Most importantly, all these places are historical documents. We must definitely keep them standing. These historical documents, these structures, must remain standing for hundreds, thousands of years. At the very least, we preserve and protect them. We ensure their long-term use over many years. Of course, on this occasion, I can say that our number of domestic and foreign tourists has also increased. Our construction work here is not easy. We are meticulously crafting these places. It's not easy to restore a historic structure to its original form, avoid harming its surroundings, and manage the budget. Our construction period is very short. You have to complete your constructions in 3 months. We are racing against time. But thank God, Allah grants us the opportunity to provide these services."

Mesut Şahintutan, who came to Erzurum with his family from Kastamonu, explained that his childhood was spent in Erzurum. Şahintutan emphasized that the work done on the registered buildings has made a significant contribution to the city.