Sanliurfa Haci Bekir Pabuçcu House restoration project

This study deals with restoration proposal of Hacı Bekir Pabuçcu House, which is located in the historical city center of Şanlıurfa, 12th September Street in Merkez Camii Kebir Neighborhood. Şanlıurfa city has lived a rapid growth and alteration period as in many other historical cities in Turkey since the middle of the twentieth century. This process of growth lead to heavy destruction of traditional architecture of the city. Therefore, every attempt and study to preserve the historical asset of the city has enormous importance. In this thesis, the information which is necessary to transfer this historical building to future generations is documented. Survey, restitution and restoration projects were prepared and also conservation and maintenance methods were developed. Firstly, during survey of the study (2017-2018), the present situation of the house was documented by drawings and photographs. Moreover the changes and decays that occurred until today were investigated. Secondly, the proposals that show the situation of the traditional houses at both of terms of the first and second construction were prepared at the restitution phase. Both restitution proposals were tried to improve according to investigation of the traditional houses that are similar to plan and the other general architectural properties of Hacı Bekir Pabuçcu House and also the data which the building represents. For the proposals of restitution, not only the present data of the house but also written, verbal and visual documents were researched. Lastly, a restoration project was developed. Interventions needed for the conservation of the house were defined. Hacı Bekir Pabuçcu House is needed to be conserved from unfavorable conditions and also a proper function must be determined for the house according to the historical and architectural characteristics of the building. At the scope of the thesis study, essential and suitable conservation processes were determined. It is planned that the building will be a Research Center that conducts studies on urban culture.