The role of local governments in conservation of the traditional texture: The case of Harput

Traditional textures are the features that distinguish cities from each other and give them their main identity. Over time, the people who lived in that region have developed as a result of cultures and changing life styles and created their own unique characteristics. It is of great importance to conserve these textures and transfer them to future generations. Responsibilities fall to the society and local governments for the conservation or use of historical environments. Since local governments are the closest institutions to the public and support the principle of locality, they need to carry out various studies in order to conserve and ensure the sustainability of historical sites. In cities with a historical texture, conservation studies are carried out within the framework of various institutions, laws and regulations. Although the ‎determinism of the enacted laws is important in terms of protection, problems may occur during the implementation phase and the protection cannot be fully provided. In this context, it is important to reveal the urban development of Harput and the urban conservation works carried out in this area. With this research, it is aimed to examine the urban development of Harput, which has a historical texture and needs to be conserved and to evaluated the urban conservation studies. The sample of the research consists of 158 randomly selected participants who agreed to participate in the research voluntarily in 2022 . In the research, a questionnaire consisting of 43 statements prepared by the researcher was used as a data collection tool in order to reveal the duties and responsibilities of local governments. In the evaluation of the research data, it was used the SPSS24 data analysis program. Obtained data are defined by percentage and frequency distributions. In the research, it was concluded that the participants had knowledge about the meaning of the historical and traditional texture, and that the historical buildings in the place where they lived should be conserved together with its garden, neighborhood and street. In addition, evaluations were made on the restoration works in Harput, the renewal of the streets, the restoration of the tombs, the restoration of the mosques, the park and garden arrangements, the lighting, the infrastructure, the placement of the urban furniture and the investments of the municipality in Harput. The results of the research show that the work of local governments is found to be insufficient by the people of the region. Therefore, local governments, should give importance to the efforts to conserve the traditional texture that expresses the historical and cultural heritage, as well as meeting the expectations of the people.