Impact of Conservation Planning and Implementations on Cultural Heritage Values in the Historic Urban Site of Kuşadası

Abstract

The study aims to evaluate the impact of the conservation planning and implementations on the cultural heritage values in a cultural landscape: Kuşadası, Aydın, Turkey. The study is limited to the decisions published on the Internet: decisions between 2013 and 2016. The methodology includes literature research, archive research in the related Regional Commission on the Conservation of Cultural Property, the Regional Directorate of Foundations, and the local administration. A site survey comprehending base map revision and photographic documentation, visual analysis, historical research and comparative study, and evaluation of conservation activities regarding concepts of conservation is also part of the research. As a result, conservation issues stem from inappropriate conservation implementations threatening the integrity of cultural heritage. The majority of the conservation implementations have focused on a single building scale. Unlicensed constructions stemming from insufficient control by the local administration in the historic urban environment and the lack of implementation of the conservation plan to remove inharmonious buildings and masses threatening the integrity of the urban layout. Preparation of a management plan, revision of the twenty-five-year-old conservation plan, and determination in their application are considered as indispensable for sustaining authenticity and integrity.