Experimental obtaining of modal behavior parameters of historical mosque minarats in Erzurum city center

Erzurum, which has hosted numerous civilizations throughout history, is remarkably rich in cultural heritage, particularly historical mosques. However, the city is located in a seismically active region where destructive earthquakes have occurred frequently. Taking preventive measures before possible future earthquakes is therefore of great importance in terms of protecting and transferring cultural heritage to future generations. Operational Modal Analysis, a non-destructive testing method, allows the identification of modal parameters based on the natural vibrations of a structure and thus provides a reliable tool for the assessment of historical buildings.In this thesis, Operational modal analysis was applied to determine the dynamic behavior of historical mosque minarets located in the city center of Erzurum. Within the scope of the study, finite element models of nine historical mosque minarets were created using SAP2000 software, and theoretical modal analyses were conducted. Subsequently, field measurements were carried out, and the dynamic behavior parameters of the minarets were experimentally obtained through operational modal analysis The theoretical and experimental results were then compared, and model calibrations were performed. The calibration studies showed that the calibrated finite element models yielded modal analysis results in close agreement with the experimental findings.