Investigation of the values of Bergama in the context of cultural tourism and conservation approach

Today, tourism is affected by changes in various areas and emerges as an ever-developing phenomenon. The settlements with natural beauties that allow for sea-cost tourism as well as cultural attractions and historical fabric are advantageous in tourism. Bergama, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a unique example with many features, is important in that it reflects cultural diversity and has a significant historical fabric.Being one of the multi-layered cities in Anatolia and distinguishing from other sites with its continued settlement since the Hellenistic Period, Bergama contains numerous important antiquities. Its rich history includes traditional housing fabric and intangible cultural heritage, in addition to monumental structures such as inns, baths, mosques, masjids, fountains, educational and administrative buildings that date back to the Seljuk and Ottoman period. This settlement, with such a rich historical background, has a clear tourism potential. This study aims to examine the rich cultural values of Bergama from a broad perspective and to assess the settlement with the purpose of leveraging it for tourism purposes. In line with this aim, the study performs the mapping and documentation of the settlement and presents the surveys and interviews with the local people on their perception on conservation and tourism. Thus, it explores the cultural values of Bergama and the awareness of the local people regarding Bergama. Consequently, the study offers suggestions such as the establishment of thematic routes so that tourists can perceive the settlement as a whole in the context of urban scale for Bergama based on a review of international regulations, and presents the evaluation of a monumental building, which has a striking place in the identity of the settlement as a single structure, for tourism and conservation. Based on all these assessments, the study presents its conclusion.