An examination of the traditional architectural texture of Kayseri-İncesu town in terms of conservation

AN EXAMINATION OF THE TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURAL TEXTURE OF KAYSERİ-İNCESU TOWN IN TERMS OF CONSERVATION SUMMARY It is necessary to prevent the extinction of historical cities, which are important elements of cultural heritage, and to ensure that the buildings are transferred to future generations by adopting an integrated conservation approach with their surroundings. Located in the southwest of Kayseri province in the Central Anatolia Region, the town of İncesu, located on the western skirt of Erciyes Mountain, has an important place in terms of both its historical process and geographical location from past to present. The history of İncesu is a settlement that dates back thousands of years. The settlement is located on the historical salt road stretching from the southwest to Baghdad. The district has hosted many cultures and societies from past to present. Thousands of years ago, it was the settlement of the Hittites and Phrygians, later the Greeks, and the Dulkadiroğulları during the principalities. It was established by the Ottomans as a settlement in the 17th century on the military main roads. In 1660, Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha was appointed by the Ottoman Empire to restore life in İncesu, which was not a safe place. Kara Mustafa Pasha had many cultural heritage items built such as baths, mosques and caravanserais for the revival of the region and the re-establishment of the settlement. The settlement, where various agricultural activities and trade have been carried out from the past to the present, became the district center in 1901. Incesu, which has a wide cultural heritage with its many historical monuments and examples of civil architecture, was declared an Urban Site in 2010 and an Archaeological Site in 2012. In this thesis, the structures in the Kayseri-İncesu Urban Site were examined, analyzed and evaluated together with their surroundings. Considering İncesu's tangible and intangible values, traditional texture and conservation problems were examined. Suggestions have been developed for the preservation of the cultural heritage in the district and its transfer to future generations in accordance with the principles of historical environment protection. Keywords: Kayseri- İncesu, Historical Environment, Traditional Building, Urban Protected Area, Conservation Problems