An evaluation on street sanitisation projects in mardin urban protected area: şeyh çabuk mosque and ulu mosque street

Mardin is one of the ancient cities located in the southeast of Anatolia, which attracts attention with its cultural structure and historical urban texture. The fact that it is located within the borders of Mesopotamia, known as the 'Fertile Crescent', which has witnessed the birth of many civilisations in history, and that it is located in the 'Tur Abdin' region, which is the important worship centre of the Assyrians, reveals both its historical and cultural richness. The multi-layered and multicultural structure of the city, where many different cultural and ethnic groups have lived together since prehistoric times, is quite remarkable. The historical city centre, where mainly Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Assyrians live today, shows that it is a cosmopolitan city where different languages, religions and sects have lived together for centuries. The multicultural structure formed by the diversity of language, religion, belief and lifestyle has played an important role in shaping the historical texture of the city. In addition to its multicultural structure, the topographical features of the environment also have an important effect on the formation of the identity of the historic city. The historical city, which has a natural texture, is a hillside settlement and has shown a linear development for long periods due to this feature. It is clear that the historical city centre has a unique appearance with its architectural structures and street texture adapted to the topography. The historical city centre, which is shaped with the slope, has the characteristics of an open air museum with its narrow streets following the architectural structures arranged like stairs and the castle resembling the crown of the city. Historical textures, which are a part of the city identity; mosques, churches, madrasahs, baths, mansions, houses, abbaras and the streets connecting them are in a whole. The city is included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage candidate list due to its historical and cultural texture. In this study, it is aimed to evaluate the street texture of the historical city centre of Mardin in terms of street rehabilitation projects, which is one of the conservation studies. A general evaluation was made by considering the literature and reports examining the effect of street works on the space in Mardin Urban Conservation Area. Changes in the aesthetic appearance of the street texture were evaluated by comparing the maps and visuals used before and after the project. Interviews were conducted with the executive experts working in the institutions responsible for the Mardin Urban Protected Area and involved in the street sanitisation project and some questions were asked. In this context, the sanitisation works in Mardin Urban Conservation Area have been examined in general terms and a detailed evaluation has been made on Şeyh Çabuk Mosque - Ulu Mosque Street. The contribution of the project to the Urban Conservation Area and its positive/negative effects are analysed in the evaluation, recommendations and conclusion sections based on the rehabilitation project carried out on the axis in question. As a result of the Şeyh Çabuk Mosque - Ulu Mosque Street sanitisation project, positive changes have been observed in the aesthetic appearance of the street, while at the same time contributing to the functionality and vitality of the street.