A Research project on the problems of preservation of Kemeraltı Street and Galata Surp Krikor Lusavoriç(St. Gregory the Illuminator)Church within their historical evolution

This study covers the publicity, documentation and assessment of Surp Krikor Lusavoric Church on Kemeraltı Street in Galata neighborhood in the city of Istanbul in relation to the principles of preservation within the context of protection of cultural heritage and historical buildings in the area. Kemeraltı Street, one of the oldest and most significant thoroughfares of the Galata neighborhood, was drastically transformed between 1956 and 1960 as a result of a major road expansion project which caused the destruction of many historical monuments in the area. Surp Krikor Lusavoric Church, one of the most important historical buildings on the street, was expropriated and demolished in 1958 and was rebuilt with a new architectural plan on the remaining land. This study endeavors to assess, through the example of Kemeralti Street, the general impact of similar applications of road expansion as a part of the public improvements which took place during the period of Turkish Prime Minister, Adnan Menderes (1950-1960); documents the current situation of the street and evaluates its historical significance. In addition, it aims to produce scientific resources for further research on the topic by documenting the past and present situation of Surp Krikor Lusavoric Church. The first chapter includes the literature review, goals and findings of the research. The second chapter deals with the geographical location, topography, current and historical names and the historical evolution of Galata starting from the Roman Empire. The third chapter locates Kemeralti Street within Galata and examines its historical and physical development from the beginnings of the 20th century – when small scale insurance maps started to be drawn – to the present day. Through a profound examination of the Goad Map (1905) and the Suat Nirven Map (1949), this section analyzes the physical conditions of the street as well as the important historical buildings on it specifically before the period 1956-1960, when major public improvement projects were conducted. It also investigates the transformation of the street and its environment by overlaying the historical maps of the area onto the current ones. In order to depict the current situation of the street, detailed analysis and statistical measurements of the existing buildings were made, and a catalog of all the officially registered buildings on the street was created and each of them was examined thoroughly. In the fourth chapter, the location of Surp Krikor Lusavoric Church on Kemeralti Street was indicated and, through the analytic building survey work and other resources, the history of the church along with the architectural characteristics of the original and the new building were examined in detail. The spaces which comprise the church, the method of construction and the features of the facade were considered. The deterioration and material analysis were done, and the problems which the building is exposed to were identified. In the fifth chapter, the current conditions of Kemeralti Street and Surp Krikor Lusavoric Church were assesed together, the problems of preservation were identified and potential solutions for these problems were provided.