Evaluation of the civil architecture examples in kiyiköy for tourism purposes

Vernacular architectural structures are unique spatial elements that reflect the cultural heritage, lifestyle, and historical continuity of a society. Preserving and revitalizing these structures contributes both to the transmission of cultural continuity and to the transfer of local identity to future generations. In recent years, the adaptive reuse of such buildings within the tourism sector has not only provided an economic basis for conservation processes but also created new opportunities for rural development. In this context, sustainable conservation strategies integrated with tourism are of great importance for the future of vernacular architectural heritage. This study examines the potential of vernacular civil architecture in Kıyıköy, a town of Vize in Kırklareli province, for adaptive reuse in tourism. The geographical structure, historical background, and traditional housing fabric of Kıyıköy were analyzed, and strategies for evaluating cultural heritage through sustainable tourism were developed. National and international examples were evaluated according to the criteria of architectural and historical value, functional suitability, economic contribution, socio–cultural contribution, and sustainability–tourism potential; subsequently, the field study in Kıyıköy was conducted. In the application part of the study, Atakale Boutique Hotel, Papazın Evi Boutique Hotel, and a registered house owned by the Kıyıköy Municipality were analyzed in detail. The selection of these three cases was based on their registered status, completed restoration processes, current use with different tourism functions (accommodation, cultural center, café–restaurant), and their strong representationalcapacity. In addition, the availability of approved survey–restitution–restoration projects, field observations, and operational–economic data made it possible to conduct a comprehensive analysis. Each building was evaluated according to the same criteria of architectural and historical value, functional suitability, economic contribution, socio cultural contribution, and sustainability–tourism potential. These three examples are located in the walled settlement area of Kıyıköy, along Cumhuriyet Street in Cumhuriyet Neighborhood. In the continuation of the study, 15 registered civil architectural buildings on the same street that have not yet undergone restoration were also analyzed according to the same criteria. This selection was made because the street constitutes a main axis in terms of both historical–cultural continuity and tourism routes. Thus, the study not only proposed adaptive reuse scenarios for individual buildings but also introduced a perspective of street rehabilitation and integrated tourism development. As a result, the proposals developed in this thesis offer feasible transformation scenarios at the scale of individual buildings while also providing strategic contributions to the integrated conservation–utilization of Cumhuriyet Street as a whole. This research aims to ensure the transmission of Kıyıköy's vernacular architectural heritage to future generations, emphasizes the role of tourism in transforming these buildings into economic assets, and develops concrete proposals for sustainable local development.