A survey about Ağırnas urban site area and Mimar Sinan street

This work includes the introduction, documentation and assessment of the cultural property in Agırnas, subordinate to Kayseri province, in accordance with the general protection principles. Kayseri is an important settling area carrying the social structure and architectural characteristics of different civilizations. Agırnas, which is located within the province of Kayseri, has the tracks of these civilizations too. The underground cities in Agirnas, which are the extensions of the Cappadocia region, had important functions in the first years of Christianity like they had had before Christianity. The rock cliff churches in the region are also thought to date from this period. Besides, there is an Armenian church in the settlement place. There is a monumental fountain in Agirnas, which is mentioned in Mimar Sinan?s Vakfiye. Besides, the stone buildings made from the volcanic rocks found in the region are remarkable. An important part of the settlement introduced as the birth place of Mimar Sinan is registered as archeological and urban site. There are also buildings registered as cultural property on the building scale. The area studied here is the Mimar Sinan Avenue where there is the house Mimar Sinan was born in. This avenue is remarkable due to the fact that it was built on an underground city. There are seven examples of civil architecture which are registered excluding the house of Mimar Sinan in this street. In the first chapter the aim, scope and methodology of the study is presented. The second chapter presents information about the geographical location, climate, economy, population, historical development and the context of the Agirnas Project. . In the third chapter cultural heritage of Agirnas is examined under the headings as follows: religious, educational and civil buildings, water constructions, underground city, rock churches and dovecotes. Sites are also defined and identified in this chapter. In the fourth chapter detections on the present situation is declared, street texture, material and construction techniques and architectural elements of the avenue is examined, and surveys of the entrance doors are drawn. The buildings that need to be protected are detected and their surveys are drawn. Upon detection, an architectural characteristic of the area is assessed. In the fifth chapter propositions about protection of the area studied are presented. The propositions are assessed on building scale. In the sixth chapter, a dictionary including regional definitions about construction techniques, construction materials, and architectural place and elements is prepared Keywords: Agirnas, Mimar Sinan, Urban Site