An examination of cultural change on traditional housing within the scope of return to the village: The case of Mağaraköy

The phenomenon of migration, as old as humanity itself, gained momentum with the Industrial Revolution. In Turkey, the increasing migration from rural to urban areas since the 1950s has led to the gradual abandonment of rural architecture. Over time, this process has resulted in significant losses to the rural cultural heritage, as well as rapid and often unplanned new spatial formations in cities. As a result of the conflicts in the 1980s, many rural settlements in the region were evacuated, leading to a wave of migration to large cities within the country and abroad, primarily to Germany. Under the Return to the Village and Rehabilitation Project prepared in 1994, various forms of support were provided to encourage people to return to deserted rural areas. The first returns to the villages began in the 2000s. Dynamics such as migration, urbanization, modernization, and globalization accelerate the process of cultural change, leading to the transformation of society and the spaces it produces. In this context, changes in rural architecture, which is both natural and man-made, lead to the loss of cultural identity as well as traditional techniques and materials. Traditional dwellings are tangible manifestations of cultural heritage due to their role as collective memory spaces. Furthermore, the significant role of traditional dwellings in the culturalization of children highlights the importance of their preservation. Mağaraköy, a village in the İdil district of Şırnak province, which features traditional Yezidi housing architecture, was selected as the study area. In the fieldwork, research on Yezidi culture, sketching, oral interviews, and surveys were used to examine their lives in the village before migration and the changes that occurred after migration. Based on the data obtained, an attempt was made to identify the community's user needs and to reveal the transformations that could be made by users in traditional dwellings. Surveys prepared to obtain the opinions of Mağaraköy residents about their village were analyzed using the SPSS program, and the findings were examined. The survey study determined that users' comfort preferences are related to space and window sizes and that traditional dwellings do not meet changing user needs. Therefore, it is important to ensure the active participation of village residents in the conservation efforts that have begun in Mağaraköy. This study aims to contribute to cultural sustainability and sustainable development by ensuring community participation. Furthermore, the study proposes an "Integrated Conservation Approach" in which cultural heritage is preserved together with its users, with the aim of ensuring that cultural heritage is passed on to future generations.