Interpretation of the cultural heritage in Mersin historical city center

The physical, economic, social and cultural changes that historical cities undergo over time can cause damage to the components of urban identity and cultural heritage. The loss of identity results in the destruction of the spiritual bond between the society and the city and the damage to the sense of belonging. Today, conservation approaches in historic cities mostly focus on physical interventions in the built environment. However, restoring the bond between society and the city is as valuable as restoring the physical environment. For this reason, interpretation and presentation activities are needed to raise public awareness and encourage public participation in the conservation of cultural heritage. Interpretation is all the work done to convey the significance of a site and to develop understanding and respect for it. Interpretation and presentation help to create a meaningful connection between society and heritage. As one of the 19th century's most important port cities, Mersin has faced interventions that have negatively affected its original values since the 60s. As a result, Mersin's historic city center has been transformed into an area detached from its context. Today, the social, cultural and historical importance of the historic city center and the historical identity of the city are not perceived. Interpretation and presentation activities are needed to convey the importance of the area and its values. The aim of the study is to determine the basic principles and to propose methodological recommendations for the interpretation and presentation of Mersin's historic city center. These principles are based on the analysis and evaluation of the site and the principles of access and understanding, information sources, attention to setting and context, preservation of authenticity, planning for sustainability, concern for inclusiveness, and importance of research, training, and evaluation as set out in the ICOMOS Charter for the Interpretation and Presentation of Cultural Heritage Sites. In the study, the theoretical development and practises of the concept of interpretation and presentation were evaluated and basic principles for interpretation and presentation were determined. In line with the determined principles, methodological suggestions are presented to convey the social, cultural and historical importance of the historical city center of Mersin, to raise awareness about the values of the city, to restore the bond between the society and the city, to encourage the participation of local people in the protection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the historical city center, and to revive the place of disappeared tangible and intangible cultural heritage in social memory.