Fire factor in historic buildings and precaution method suggestion: A case study of Odunpazari district, Eskisehir

Significant changes have been experienced in constructional works parallel with the development of our country, One of the most important of these changes is to ensure building security. Although the issue of fire takes an important place in building safety, some regulations have been issued regarding the measures to be taken against fire. These regulations include passive and active fire safety measures. However, while these regulations are applied more easily for most recently constructed buildings, it is more difficult to apply in historical buildings. Since historical buildings are more sensitive to fire and they have the feature of the cultural heritage, they are among the priority buildings that should be protected. Therefore, fire safety measures that should be planned in historical buildings are of great importance. Historical buildings are architectural works of art that witness the history of society and show its social, economic, and cultural structure. Physical characteristics of historical buildings are integrated with the social fabric of the period. The architectural, and engineering applications and materials used in the buildings are formed according to the characteristics of the traditional social life of the building. It is the primary duty of all humanity to protect the physical features of historical buildings that bridge the past and the future and protect the cultural heritage. The study area is the Historical Eskişehir Odunpazarı District where has great cultural, social, and touristic potential in Turkey. In the study, the measures to be taken to evaluate the necessary intervention methods and to prevent these historical buildings from entering into fire danger were investigated to re-add the historical buildings exposed to fire to the cultural heritage. First of all, the historical buildings that fired in the Eskişehir Odunpazarı district were determined for this purpose. The causes of fire in four identified buildings were investigated and the fire reports were examined. According to the information obtained from these reports, fire classes and the damages caused by the fire were determined related to the fire reasons. Finally, the measures that can be taken to prevent the damages caused by the fire to the historical buildings were determined and the restoration intervention methods were evaluated for the damages in the historical buildings after the fire. It is expected to make important contributions to the preservation and survival of the historical Eskişehir Odunpazarı texture thanks to this thesis. In addition, the study is a guide for social and cultural studies and renovation projects in the district.