Adaptive Reuse of Historical Buildings in Turkey, Part 1

The issue of investing and preserving historical buildings of cultural value is lately considered to be one of the main problems that attracted the attention and concern of many local and international organizations. Researches and studies have proved that the best way to preserve historical buildings and to safeguard their maintenance is to reinvest and renew their utilization. The aim is to preserve these buildings and protect their income to cover the expenses of maintenance by caring for the buildings and the surrounding urban environment. The subject presents one of the most successful experiences, namely that of Istanbul in Turkey, where they cared for the region as a whole. Some examples in Sultanahmet neighborhood are presented. These were changed to a touristic compounds; the Haseki Hürrem Baths were made into an exhibition space for porcelain and carpets and the Mohammed Efendi School was made into a center for handicrafts. Dr. Hassan Abou Mahmoud is a lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering at al-Azhar University. (Taken from English Summary on page 8)

Mahmoud, Hassan Abou. 1999. Adaptive Reuse of Historical Buildings in Turkey, Part I. In Alam al-Bina. Abdelbaki Mohamed Ibrahim (ed). Cairo: Center for Planning and Architectural Studies, 10-14/210.

Alam al-Bina

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