Conversion of the Granary at Andriake, the harbor of Myra, to a museum

Our country abounds in cultural monuments of historical significance. Among these are many that remain from the antiquity. Preservation of monumental buildings is a cultural and legal responsibility. In the world and in our country, the basic workflow applied in the preservation of ancient buildings is the completion of archaeological excavations, then the application of conservation procedures, and if then necessary the commencement of their restoration. However these applications are not adequate for long term preservation of a building. Long term preservation of the structure depends on periodical maintenance, after all these have been done. Reassignment of a function is a method applied worldwide, to facilitate continual maintenance and long term preservation of monumental structures. It is also asserted in international edicts, that this procedure is a method that facilitates preservation.The Granarium at Andriake, which is the subject of this graduate thesis, is among buildings with few similar examples, and has reached the present day with an unusually well state of preservation for an ancient structure. There being few other examples similar to Andriake Granarium, and its being almost perfectly preserved, suggests that the method of preservation through use would be a good approach for its long term preservation.When the historical ? geographical position and usage vs. preservation balance / structure-function compatibility is considered for Andriake Granarium, it becomes evident that the most convenient function is the conversion to a museum. Floor planning of the Granarium, the historical ? cultural properties of its locality and the touristic potential of Demre are among the significant factors for the proposal of a museum function.In this thesis, a museum model is proposed for the structure that will not overburden the potential of Andriake Granarium, yet signify its historical and architectural aspects and bring some novelity to Turkish Museology.