Determination and preservation problems of historical tomb buildings in Diyarbakir Surici district

The city of Diyarbakır is located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, between the Southeastern Toros Mountains and the north of Tigris Basin. Although there is no definitive information about its establishment, the oldest remains belong to the Hurrians who ruled this region around 3000 BC. The excavations in the inner of castle of Amida Höyük indicate the founding date of the city center and demonstrate that the central location of the city has been preserved until the present day. Being situated at the intersection of trade routes has made the city an important center and has hosted many civilizations. These differences in governance have shaped the city and contributed to the formation of a rich architectural texture. The historical city of Diyarbakır, particularly the Suriçi, is one of the cities where the traditional architectural fabric has survived to this day. In this area, there are so many military, religious, commercial, educational, administrative, social, civil, and monumental architectural structures belonging to different civilizations. Among the religious architectural buildings in the Surici, tombs, including mosques and churches, to much important places. After the conquest of Diyarbakır by the Islamic army, tomb buildings began to be built. Various tombs were constructed by the Mervanoğlu, Artuklu, Akkoyunlu, and Ottoman periods, and they have survived until the present day. The tomb buildings were built in different periods and styles in the Surici district of Diyarbakır carry religious, historical, architectural, and cultural value. They are important buildings that reflect the city's past and cultural richness. In this study, tomb buildings are located in the Surici of Diyarbakır have been examined in detail at an architectural context. The distribution of tomb buildings in the Surici district and their relationship with nearby structures has been evaluated. The chronological changes in tomb structures have been discussed, and they have been evaluated based on their plan form, roofing, structural system, material properties, and structural elements which is using the buildings. The damages that occurred in the tombs at both the individual structure scale and the surrounding scale have been examined, and the causes of these damages have been identified. In this context, scientific conservation methods and permanent solutions have been developed for the problems that occurred in tomb structures. It is important to preserve the tomb buildings in the Surici district of Diyarbakır without losing their cultural heritage property, with a sustainable approach. The main purpose of the thesis is to provide a fundamental source to ensure that the tomb structures to achieve future generations in an original manner. Keywords: Tomb, Suriçi, Diyarbakır, preservation