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 historical fabric has been brought back to light.
Erzurum, one of Eastern Anatolia's important historical and cultural centers, has hosted many civilizations. Historical structures dating from the early years of the Republic, Ottoman, Seljuk, and Saltuklu periods, have been brought into tourism through the ongoing works.
Shantytowns around the historical structures were removed. The structures were restored in accordance with their original form. Routes connecting the historical sites were created, significantly changing the city's silhouette.
The Culture Road Project has been continuing in stages for 14 years. Extensive arrangements were made in the historical areas around Çifte Minareli Medrese, Yakutiye Medresesi, Erzurum Castle, Ulu Cami, and Üç Kümbetler.
With the works supervised by the Department of Urban Aesthetics, the visibility of historical artifacts increased. A holistic cultural route was created where visitors can 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 to revive the city's almost lost historical identity, they have initiated significant works in the last 14 years. He explained that all shantytowns around the historical Erzurum Castle were expropriated.
22 registered buildings converted into museums, workshops, or art houses
Aynalı said that the first two stages of the Culture Road Project, initiated to reveal the city's historical structures, have been completed. He added that the third stage is ongoing.
"When we cleared the shantytowns, only our historical and registered buildings remained here. We restored those that had been deformed. We rebuilt those that were completely destroyed in accordance with their original form. In central Erzurum, we had 137 historical 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 caricature 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 preserve and live 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 historical structures is ongoing. He noted that all works are meticulously carried out after being submitted to the Cultural Heritage Preservation Board.
"We are racing against time"
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 constructions here are not easy. We are meticulously crafting every detail here. It is not easy to restore a historical structure to its original form, avoid harming its surroundings, and manage its 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 perform these services."
Mesut Şahintutan, who came to Erzurum from Kastamonu with his family, 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.
Comments
…Loading comments…