Restorations of anatolian Seljuks monumental buildings from the beginning of the 20th century

According to conservation principles the historical value of architectural heritage is composed of not only the properties related with its first construction but also the qualified later additions. The aim of the conservation is to preserve these values which are described as 'layers'. It can be determined by researching architectural and conservation history within the scope of restitution, one of the phases of restoration work. The findings of the research prepared as project with report after legal sanctions in 1990s. Before that, such studies conducted as an important requirement in order to decide how to intervene as in the examples of the medieval monumental structures which lost its integrity and authenticity at a considerable level. On the other hand, restoration decisions have to be based on the correct data in the context of medieval monuments over seven hundred years which required to advanced level of protection sensitivities, have no tolerate any fault. It is necessary to have a correct restoration chronology for a proper conservation. In this dissertation prepared with this acceptance, it is aimed to present to the history of the conservation through important examples of Anatolian Medieval Architecture. It is aimed to contribute to the preservation of the architectural heritage in Turkey with this study which is supposed to evaluate the historical process of the monumental buildings to be repaired. In the first part of the dissertation, the aims and contributions of the study and the scope and the method of the study are explained. Because of the importance of the resources used in researches of repair history those used in the dissertation are introduced. In order to understand the original components of the constructions and their subsequent additions, the architectural characterization of the monuments should be known. For this reason, in the second part of the thesis, it is aimed to show the development and original architectural and constructional features of Anatolian Seljuk madrasah architecture. In Seljuk period, greater number of mosques, mesjids, madrasahs, inns and hammams were constructed. However, madrasah as an architectural type represents interesting not only the period of Anatolian Seljuk architecture but also Turkish-Islamic architecture. They were used as an educational institutions, hospital or observatory. This type of buildings have one or two storeys, central open or closed courtyards, four iwans and the students cells located among its iwans. The main design characteristic featured in the portals. The Islamic art features and adornments are well seen on these buildings made of stone. Although to know the story of its phased construction and the whole history of its changes are important to documentate of monuments, it is not easy to obtain this information. It benefits from the survey drawings, the old photographs and the reports. But this stage is one of the difficulties of this study. Despite of the best observation of the monument when it is under restoration, archive of the state of conservation before and after the interventions are not available or not enough. In the third part of this study, which aims to explain the conservation approaches according to the regulations, laws and decisions which directly affected to the Anatolion medieval buildings. The conservation problems and their probable reasons are given in detail in this section. The contents of this chapter can briefly be summarized as follows: The first period between the Seljuks Period to Ottoman Period, has the title of "The First Repairs". The second is named as "Ottoman Repairs", mid-nineteenth century to the beginnings of the republic, which is divided into two part according to the Ottoman modernization of the 19th century. Especially it is important that ancient monument regulations were legislated in the 19th century. Although the regulations focused on archaeological excavations and artefacts uncovered, they are the basis of the Turkish Republic's legislative framework. The third period, which is limited with the years of 1920 and 2018, is discussed under the title of "The Conservation Concepts and Interventions from 1920". This long period is divided according to breaking point of the conservation history of Anatolian monumental buildings. The pins of chronological history are President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's the famous telegram from Konya in the 1930s, the establishment of the High council for the Historical real estate and monuments in 1951, the acception of act no. 1710, the first historic artefacts act of Turkish Republic in 1973, cultural and natural Heritage conservation act no: 2863 in 1983 and its revision act no. 5226 in 2004. It comprises the years between 1920-30, 1930-51, 1951-73, 1973-83, 1983-2004, 2004-2018. The conservation techniques and consepts in 1950s are examined thoroughly thereby most part of Anatolian Seljuks Madrasah generally were restored in 1950s. In these first restorations of monuments, concrete mortar was used for the repairment of masonry. Although the damages of cement were appeared in 1970s, the using continued until the 2000s. Ending of cement usage is very important development in the conservation architectural heritage in Turkey. Nowadays it has become an intervention in order to be taken the cements from historical buildings. However removal of cement from any monument is not easy in technically. In the fourth part of the study, six important Medieval monumental buildings are selected for sampling the conservation history in the third part of this study. Their architectural descriptions and repairment histories are described. These monuments are Gökmedrese Mosque and Bimarhane in Amasya, Cacabey Madrasah in Kırşehir and Çifte Minareli Madrasah, Buruciye Madrasah and Gök Madrasah in Sivas. These have important conservation history as well as they are pioneers of the Seljuk Madrasah Architecture. The monuments have been subjected to many different interventions throughout their history. They could not preserve their authenticity and integrity based on first construction. Their form, as well as in their construction techniques changed according to the particular exigencies of the related period. In the fifth part of the dissertation, the evaluation of the repair processes of the monumental buildings are included. How the conservation approach developed under these circumstances reflected to the application and how the repairs were completed on the building were examined. In the last section, suggestions are made in order to eliminate the factors affecting the conservation of Anatolian medieval monuments. An analytical determination of the repairments of the medieval monuments has been prepared. According to this, there is almost no part of the structures that have not been intervened, untouched. In fact, there is even a negative perception of what remains authentic in monuments. As emphasized at first, it is not possible that a monument, constructed in the 13th century, come through the day without any change. According to this natural process, it is even impossible to preserve the originality of the first constructions in monuments. It also supports an acceptance of defining the authenticity of the heritage mentioned in the Nara Document on Authenticity. When the authenticity values of a medieval monumental structure are questioned, the evolution through time as well as its initial design features should be conserved. But past repairs should be considered as an addition of the period. The interventions in 1950s, which are difficult to separate from the buildings or would be more harmful to the structure even if done, become a layer of the monument. For this reason, as a conservation approach, it is necessary to protect the architectural heritage along with these layers thoroughly. In this study the other recommendations follows as conservation of the structure and continuous maintenance. In order to promote the functional and economical values, these buildings should be reused. It is recommended that use of the structure in accordance with its spatial qualities and potentials. While assisting and guiding the conservation works of madrasah, it should be get reference to international charters and other doctrinal texts. Another recommendations about the nominated site named as Anatolian Seljuks Madrasah is in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage in 2014. The property is composed of some of notable madrasah such as the selected madrasah in this study. The first goal of the candidate monuments to become a World Heritage site is to preserve their originality. For this reason, further studies must be taken lesson from past mistakes and it should not accept even the smallest error in restoration works. Conservation studies should be carried out with participatory programs where experts in their field come together with institutional coordination in accordance with international conservation criteria. This dissertation also comprises a methodology proposal for similar studies of the future.