Memory routes as a holistic approach to the conservation of cultural and natural heritage: The case of Buyukada

Buyukada has an extremely rich and multi-layered urban texture in terms of cultural and natural heritage values. Political events in history, migrations and natural disasters, deficiencies in management and planning, lack of a holistic conservation approach and unconscious mass tourism; It has caused the cosmopolitan texture of Büyükada to deteriorate and the tangible and intangible values bearing the traces of urban and cultural memory to be lost or faced with the danger of being lost. In this context, a holistic conservation approach that will preserve, revitalize and sustain the spirit of the place, the urban and collective memory is of critical importance for Büyükada. In the research; It is aimed to preserve, revive and keep alive the cultural and natural values of Buyukada, the spirit of the place, and the memory of the island and its inhabitants, with the story routes constructed with reference to the concept of 'culture route'. The tangible and intangible cultural and natural heritages of Buyukada have been evaluated through urban and collective memory. The story value of the architectural structures in Buyukada has been researched in the light of literature and analyzed with oral studies and field studies. Architectural structures with story value are defined as memory spaces. memory spaces; Squares, streets, natural heritage sites, urban and cultural components and intangible cultural heritages were enriched and two different story routes were created. It has been argued that in historical cities, where the cultural memory is in danger of being lost, the focal point of the cultural routes to be proposed should be the stories and the places where those stories are embodied. Suggestions were made for the development of the proposed story routes and the improvement and protection of the urban fabric in Buyukada.