Evaluating reuse opportunities of historic buildings: The example of Harput's Turkish baths

A human-made built environment reflects the culture, technology, method of construction, and lifestyle of the era that it has constructed. Buildings may lose functionality while sustaining cultural importance and physical existence due to living conditions. Reuse of the buildings, which have cultural and historical significance, is crucial to the country's economy and the sustainability of cultural durability. In our country, the understanding of economy-based mass tourism has started regardless of cultural and environmental parameters in the '70s began evolving in the mid-'90s, cultural tourism which has seen complemental of mass tourism in those years; nowadays it's becoming a substantial type of tourism regarding its share in the industry. In the interest of cultural tourism gain functionality, tangible and intangible tools of motivation like famous architectural buildings, archeologic sites, museums, gastronomic and artistic activities and, belief elements exist. On the spot that is the subject of our study has intended tangible cultural properties to be accessible and intangible cultural components to sustain and be exhibited. This study aimed at unexploited Turkish bath buildings in the historic neighborhood Harput to gain functionalities that make them visitable and eligible for experiencing the intangible culture and, this has made with the participation of neighbor's residents/visitors and, suggestions of use's spatial solutions making analyzed with all together use of interpretive and analytical methods.