Edirne-Kaleiçi`ndeki tarihsel konutların korunma ve kullanım olanakları açısından değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

ÖZET Günümüzde gelişen tarih bilincine koşut olarak, tüm insanlığın ortak malı olarak kabul edilen tarihsel ve kültürel değerlerin korunması, yaşatılması ve gelecek kuşaklara aktarılması, çağdaş insanın doğal görevi olarak kabul edilmektedir. Bu değerlerin gelecek kuşaklara özgün niteliklerini bozmadan aktarılabilmeleri ise korunmaları ve kullanılabilir olmalarının sağlanmasına bağlıdır. Bu araştırmanın amacı, Edirne kentinin eski kent merkezini oluşturan Kaleiçi yerleşiminde yer alan tarih sel konutların korunabilme ve günümüz yaşam koşullarında kullanılabilme olanak ve olasılıklarının irdelenmesidir. Edirne kenti tüm tarihsel geçmişi boyunca jeopolitik ko numu nedeniyle önemli bir yerleşim merkezi olarak gelişi mini sürdürmüştür. Özellikle Türkler tarafından alınışıy la önemi artmış, uzun yıllar başkentlik yapmış ve çok sa yıda anıt esere sahip olmuştur. Kentin sahip olduğu zen gin mimari kalıt günümüzde anıt eserler dışında oldukça ihmal edilmiş ve büyük kayba uğramıştır. Çalışmanın birinci bölümünde; tezin amacı, kapsamı ve yöntemi belirlendikten sonra, ikinci bölümde; Kaleiçi yerleşimi fiziksel dokusunun saptanabilmesi için öncelik le Edirne Kentinin ve buna bağlı olarak Kaleiçi'nin tarihsel süreç içindeki gelişimi ele alınmıştır. Üçüncü bö lümde; Kaleiçi'nde bulunan tarihsel konutların mekansal özelliklerinin saptanması amacıyla yapılan gerekli alan çalışmaları sonucunda elde edilen veriler değerlendiril miş, tablo ve çizelgelere dönüştürülmeye çalışılmıştır. Dördüncü bölümde; günümüz koruma anlayışı ve koru ma kavramının gelişimine koşut olarak Kaleiçi'nin durumu ve yörede yapılan çalışmalar irdelenmiş, Kaleiçi'nin ko runmaya değer olup olmadığı ve korumaya ilişkin sorunları saptanmaya çalışılmıştır. Beşinci bölümde; Kaleiçi tarih sel yerleşimi için uygulamaya yönelik yapılacak bir koru ma çalışmasına katkıda bulunacağı düşünülerek, ülkemizde ve yurtdışında uygulanmış koruma çalışmalarına göre Kale içi'nin değerlendirilmesine ve gerek tek yapı ölçeğinde gerekse çevre ölçeğinde, yöre için uygun önerilerin ge liştirilmesine çalışılmıştır. Altıncı bölümde ; değerlen dirmeler sonucunda elde edilen veriler ve Kaleiçi yerle şiminde uygulanması olası öneriler ortaya konmaya çalı şılmıştır.

SUMMARY CONSERVATION POSSIBILITIES OF KALEICI'S OLD HOUSES IN EDİRNE The aim of this work is to study the possibilities and opportunities for the conservation of the Kaleiçi district which is the oldest city center of Edirne. This study does not attempt to propose a new method on historical site conservation, but rather it seeks suitable solutions and suggestions for Kaleiçi. To this end, existing methods and conservation studies applied in foreign countries and in our country were examined in detail. In searching for solutions to problems of urban conservation which, could be applicable to Kaleiçi, attempts were also made to provide a comprehensive and detailed study about historical buildings in the district of Kaleiçi. Historical environments and buildings can only be conserved as long as they function in contemporary life. Such buildings thought worthy of conservation survive through maintaining contemporary life. Search and analysis of the historic urban fabric and of architectural and aesthetic values, and needs of the present day people are essential in the success of realization and adaptation of historical patterns to present day life. The concept of conservation has constantly developed over the years. Limited at first to monuments restored as museum, the concept of conservation now includes individual or group of old buildings rather modest in nature and old districts where the original fabric is gradually destroyed by modern needs. Originally only palaces, castles and large religeous, commercial or public buildings were thought worthy of conservation, but later smaller and modest buildings were also included. Today, vernacular buildings are being conserved with their environments. Thus now, the integrated conservation concept involves historical archeological, architectural, as well as social and economic aspects of preserving and revitalizing urban areas thought as worthy of conservation. As in developed countries in recent years, the importance of conserving old buildings as well as monuments has been recognized in Turkey. Studies in this field are not yet sufficient, mostly because of inadequateeconomic resources and of the great number of such environments and buildings in this country. It should be noted that recognition of this concept and related studies were not as old or as conscious as those observed in Europe. Consequently, the people in Turkey do not yet believe in the necessity of concerving old buildings, especially old houses, and unfortunately destruction and demolition of such environments could not have been prevented. As can be observed in similar historical environ ments in Turkey, Kaleiçi district, the study area of the thesis, is one of the oldest city centers where there are numerous buildings that deserve to be conserved since they carry values rich in architectural terms. Yet, most of these buildings are obsolete and have been neglected along with other buildings in the city except monumental buildings such as the Selimiye Mosque. The district, with its rich treasury of remaining old houses, is a living witness of the physical, social and cultural evolution of the city between the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries. People who originally lived in these old houses were the non-Muslim minorities of Edirne who later migrated either from the city or from the country at that time. Remaining houses which might be conserved in the district are generally in good condition. However, most of the new residents think that they are not worthy of conservation just because that they are houses once owned by non-Muslims. In addition, change in fashion, changing needs of users, and the new urban needs as seen commercial and business examples due to the location of the district being near to the new city center, are threatening the area. Hence, dissapear ance of old remaining hoses is becoming inevitable in Kaleiçi. In this study, attention is focused upon the conservation and reuse of old houses in Kaleiçi. The study covers the following stages of research and devel opment : o Investigation of the historical evolution of physical characteristics and. urban structure of Edirne and specifically Kaleiçi. o Examination of the architectural and spatial characteristics of old houses in the Kaleiçi district. o Classification of these characteristics with drawings and tables. o Investigation and definition of the changing needs and present day needs of users in relation - xi -to changes in conservation areas. o Examination of conservation studies in other countries and in our country in order to identify problem areas along with solutions formulated for similar problems in other conservation studies. o Formulation of possible solutions that would suit the special conditions of Kaleiçi. The follows : scope of the study could be summarized as The subject of the present work and its aim are introduced in the First Chapter. Information about the sources is given and the method of survey is described in detail. Edirne has been first populated by Tracs in the early historic periods. In Roman and Byzantian periods, it has been an important castle because of its geopoli tical location in Tracia. In the Ottoman period, the city has become the capital of the Empire and during this period, until the end of the nineteenth century, it has been the biggest and the most important city of the Empire with Istanbul and Bursa. But in the nineteenth century, the city's development began to decline due to wars and also due to diseases and fires. Especially during the Balkan Wars and the 1st World War, its popula tion decreased considerably, and after the 1st World War it became a small frontier city of the Turkish Republic. Today, the city has a monumental character because of its rich history and treasury of buildings. In addition to the city's architectural heritage, its location as a frontier of the Turkish Republic in the West, and hence the main tourist traffic routes between Europe and Turkey passing through the city, and also its central character in Tracia, increase the importance of the city. The oldest and the first settlement of Edirne in Roman and Byzantian periods survival as Kaleiçi district in our time. Kaleiçi burned and demolished throughly with XIIthe fire in 1903. After then a new city plan was made by France architects in the form of hippotomos in 1908. The pattern of the district which was established by this plan was not changed completely in time. In addition the old buildings were not worn out and demolished throughly in the district. However new building constructions increasing day today in Kaleiçi, mostly because of the place of the district which is near by the new commercial and business centre of Edirne. Kaleiçi is surrounding by Talatpaşa Street on the north and Saraçlar Street and the east which are the main traffic routes of the City. On the south and on the west, river of Tunca is surrounding the district. There are 116 old houses which were listed as historical building to conserve. With these listed buildings 224 old houses were pointed out and studied in the thesis. Classification of historical houses in Kaleiçi with respect to their architectural and functional characteristics are examined in Chapter Three. Plan types and variety in historical houses are analysed in detail with comprehensive field studies conducted in the area. As a result, it is observed that houses in Kaleiçi were designed according to two main plan types. These types have variations depending on the location of the house on the building plot, the number and organization of its rooms, location of the staircase, the form of 'sofa' (hall), and the connection of the 'sofa' with other spaces and with the backyard. The structure and ornament ation elements are also analysed along with plan charac teristics, and the results obtained are transformed to tables and drawings. It might be proposed that these classifications are helpful in defining the original characteristics of houses in Kaleiçi which have the potential to be conserved and in determining the constraints which must be taken into consideration in the production of new buildings within the historical fabric. In Chapter Four, the evolution of the conservation concept with respect to Kaleiçi is examined to determine the real conditions and prolems of the district. Then, the necessity of conservation and potentials of the Kale içi district and its historical houses are examined. Following this, problems of conservation concerning the area under consideration are investigated comperatively with similar problems of such historical environments. These investigations showed that the district and the old houses must be conserve because of their cultural, aesthetic, historical, social and economical values. The problems about conservation in Kaleiçi are similiar with other conservation areas. The main problems can be faced in Kaleiçi are economic problems. Another xm -important problem which must be solved to the success of conservation studies in Kaleiçi is that the dwellers are not thought their old houses as worthy of conservation. Transportation in the district is an important problem too. The sides of the road in Kaleiçi are inadequate four motor traffic. So the vehicle and pedestrian routes and autopark places must be solved in the area. In addition commercial needs are threatining the area by the east side of the district. Most of the houses in these streets are using by inadequate functions. Also most of them are using by hotels, shops and offices. While maintaining such functions to the houses, studies are not controlled by conservationists. Applied conservation studies that take into account the tested solutions of common problems in historical environments are examined in Chapter Five to provide suitable solutions for an Urban Conservation Plan which could be applied to Kaleiçi. And an attempt is made to provide solutions in both urban and building scales for the district and its houses, according to applied conservation studies. Functional and changing needs of users, structural and functional changes in historical areas, causes of these changes, and the present day needs which must be primarily integrated to conserved old houses are investigated to find out the possibilities for adapting houses in Kaleiçi to present day life. Old houses built according to the needs of users in that period of time are generally unoccupied and hence demolished due to reasons of not fitting to contemporary life conditions and to the needs of present day users. In fact, adaptation of such buildings to present life conditions or new uses is very easy and also possible with the help of modern technology. Results derived from investigations point out to the fact that, in any case, spatial and functional organization of houses in Kaleiçi may be adapted to contemporary needs of people by bringing solutions to hygenic problems that require little change. In addition, adaptation of such houses thought as worthy of conservation bring an economic benefit, since existing buildings can be utilized as a housing stock. Chapter Six is devoted to the findings of the study. These findings may be summarized as follows: o A conservation study which would be applied to Kaleiçi involves primarily a comprehensive and detailed survey and documentation of the old buildings in the district. o Due to conditions of the city and Kaleiçi, a conservation plan should make the district functional mostly in terms of housing. - xiv -o In order to have economic benefits, such a conservation study should propose new uses specifically for special buildings to serve touristic purposes in addition to housing. o Along with touristic uses, other economically viable uses, e.g. social and cultural, should also be included in the conservation plan. o One of the important problems in Kaleiçi is the motor traffic. The street pattern of the district is suitable for pedestrian traffic and the amount of outer spaces are sufficient for parking purposes. o The city has an university; it also owns a cere monial week which has been traditional throug hout the country. These advantages should be used in raising the consciousness of people and for the advertisement of the city to get support for a conservation study. o Old buildings which could be conserved for housing purposes can be adapted to present day needs by bringing various solutions. - xv -