Discussing the rural architecture and the preservation problems of Erdek Kapıdağ Peninsula through the analyses on Ballıpınar and Hamamlı Settlements

Rural settlements and the rural character of these settlements are shaped by the geographical, physical, social and cultural characteristics of the region. The character of rural settlements consists of the structures and spaces produced by local building masters with traditional materials and techniques in line with the expectations of local life. The sustainability of the rural settlements and their structures with their nature-friendly structures, local qualities, original and simple forms is one of the focal points of the conservation works on rural heritage. In this framework, this study deals with the rural heritage places of the Kapıdağ Peninsula and discusses the potentials and problems of these areas over the settlements of Ballıpınar and Hamamlı. In rural settlements, some conservation problems related to the change of production system, change in social structure, dissolution and legal regulations, besides the geographical and positional qualities are observed. These problems affect the local structures, texture and even the social structure in a negative way. On the other hand, the geographical position and the economic structure of the settlements, the tendencies of the local people and the attitudes of the visitors to the rural area are defined and considered as the cultural values and potentials of these heritage places. In this context, the aim of the study is to determine the potentials and problems of Ballıpınar and Hamamlı settlements, and to develop conservation proposals indigenous to heritage places that targets the sustainability of local life and rural heritage, social and economic development and living conditions.