The characteristics of the rural earthen architectural heritage of Malatya region, conservation problems and suggestions

Architecture, as much as it covers the activities for building; it is a discipline that includes studies aimed at protecting what has been produced and transferring it to future generations. In this sense, conservation and sustainability concepts in architecture, historical structures, textures; it has taken its current form with the works done in order to protect many natural, social and cultural values. These values also include original building materials. Since the beginning of building production activity, earthen is one of the most frequently used and most accessible materials. The earthen material, which is frequently encountered in many regions of Anatolia and the construction techniques suitable for this material, have been used so intensely to form the basis of the architectural qualities of the settlements, especially in some regions. One of them is Malatya, which stands out with its strategic location and unique architectural values. The earthen material, which determines the architectural characteristics of Malatya, has been used extensively in both urban and rural areas. Settlements in the Malatya region, which are composed of rural earthen architectural values, have undergone changes at different rates despite having many unique characteristics. The fact that no documentation and conservation work had been carried out prior to these changes caused the loss of many of the original values of these settlements completely. In this sense, six rural settlements, Çayırköy, Kuşdoğan, Seyituşağı, Karaca, Beybağı and Günpınar, were selected within the framework of certain criteria in order to document and conserve the original data on the rural earthen architecture of the region; documented from various angles, conservation problems were identified and suggestions were made for these problems. As a result, it is thought that this thesis, prepared for the conservation and sustainability of rural adobe architecture of the Malatya region, will contribute to the literature on the conservation and sustainability of all unique earthen structures found in Anatolia and the world and the settlements consisting of these structures.