A reading of urban memory in muslim-non-muslim unity in the historical process: The case of Talas

The cities we live in from the past to the present have been in a constant change with the variability of the political, social, demographic and economic indicators of the period, and this situation has reflected in the historical settlement textures in a positive or negative way. Kayseri Province, Talas District, which is the subject of this research, has hosted many civilizations from past to present due to its geographical location. Especially in the Ottoman Period, the diversity in the settlement has gained importance with the effect of the multi-culture; it has been a cosmopolitan settlement where Muslims, Armenians and Greeks known as Anatolian Turks, lived. The traditional texture of the settlement began to take shape following the first half of the 19th century. This architectural structuring, formed by the union of Muslim and non-Muslim, has been the most important carrier of the neighbourhood texture and urban memory. The social, cultural, economic, structural and physical conditions of the region have changed with the abandonment of the Armenians in 1915 and later the Greeks who were subject to the exchange with the Treaty of Lausanne. Along with the rapid population growth in recent years, changes in the environment have adversely affected the traditional texture. Within the scope of this study, the buildings that have lost or are at risk of losing their authenticity in the traditional historical texture of Talas and the memory places that cannot survive to the present are discussed in detail. These changes and transformations, which also threaten the integrity of the area, have been examined under the concepts of 'authenticity' and 'integrity' from the UNESCO World Heritage Criteria. As a result of the study, the social, cultural and architectural values that the settlement still has today are revealed, and the developments regarding the ownership status of the historical buildings are pointed out. The risk of losing the originality and thus the integrity of the field has been revealed in the radical functional changes that develop accordingly. As a result, suggestions have been developed to maintain spatial as well as social continuity by taking a holistic perspective at the scale of Talas neighbourhoods.