Proposal conservation of the Church of the Diyarbakir Virgin Mary

Diyarbakir Virgin Mary Church has a very important place as it is an early Byzantine period structure. It is in the group of churches with a tetrakonch plan, which is the plan type of the early Byzantine period. The apse part of the church, which was in tetraconch plan type at the time it was first built, has survived to the present day. The apse, the only surviving part of the church; It has been converted into the current main church with additions, renovations and repairs. It is very important for its sustainability that it is open to worship and visitation and that the building is actively used. The church, which is one of the important cultural heritages of Diyarbakır, is one of the places visited by local and foreign tourists. To ensure that the Diyarbakır Virgin Mary Church, for which a comprehensive restoration project has not been prepared, is documented with detailed drawings, to determine its original qualities by conducting historical research, to identify the changes and conservation problems it has undergone, to develop a restoration proposal for the preservation of its original texture and to ensure its continuity and transfer to future generations. is its main purpose. It is aimed that this study will make a social contribution and lead the way for the next survey, restitution, restoration projects and applications. In the first part of the thesis, the aim, scope and method of the research; In the second part, the churches in Diyarbakir in the early Byzantine period are explained and the characteristics of the churches built in this period are explained. In the third chapter, the current settlement status and architectural features of the Virgin Mary Church are explained in detail. "Relief" drawings showing the current state of the building were made, and "Material Analysis" was prepared by giving the construction technique and material information of the church, and "Damage Analysis" was prepared by explaining the damages in the building in detail. In the fourth part of the thesis, similar churches in the early Byzantine period are detailed. The restitution methodology and restitution resources of the building are explained. Restitution studies were carried out by examining the traces from the building, written and visual sources. Within the scope of restitution, churches similar to the Virgin Mary Church were also researched, a comparison was made in terms of plan type, and "Restitution" drawings were made in the light of extensive art history research. In the fifth part of the study, restoration proposal is presented. The restoration approach is explained by considering the environmental, structural and social effects of the building. The restoration interventions of the church are explained in detail. In this context, a restoration project covering conservation proposals has been prepared. In the last part of the study, a general evaluation was made and conservation suggestions were presented.