Preservation of the Architectural Heritage of the Syriac Christians in the Ṭur ʿAbdin: Processes and Varying Approaches

Preservation of the Architectural Heritage of the Syriac Christians in the Ṭur ʿAbdin: Processes and Varying ApproachesTÜBA-KED: Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi Kültür Envanteri DergisiSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference PortalThe National Endowment for the HumanitiesThe International Balzan Prize FoundationDavid A. Michelsoncbsc_adminRecord added to Zotero bycbsc_adminSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference Portalhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/GMCT5UKG/tei

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2025-05-20-05:00

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CREATED: This bibl record was autogenerated from a Zotero record.ElifKeser-KayaalpPreservation of the Architectural Heritage of the Syriac Christians in the Ṭur ʿAbdin: Processes and Varying Approacheshttp://syriaca.org/cbss/GMCT5UKGhttps://www.zotero.org/groups/a_comprehensive_bibliography_on_syriac_studies/items/GMCT5UKGhttps://www.zotero.org/groups/4861694/items/GMCT5UKGTÜBA-KED: Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi Kültür Envanteri Dergisi14201657-69After explaining the significance of the architectural heritage of the Syriac Christians in Ṭur ʿAbdin in south-eastern Turkey, this article focuses on the extensive renovation and building projects in many churches and monasteries of this region after 2001 up until the last year. Since these buildings belong to an ethnic and religious minority in a politically sensitive part of Turkey, the investigation of the emotional connections and the decision and application processes behind the construction activities can be useful in developing better strategies for protection. After mentioning the different views on this heritage and discussing some particular cases, the paper argues that there is a need for a new approach to deal with this heritage in the light of the discussions about heritage studies in the past ten years. This new approach should prioritize the meanings of buildings rather than fossilising them and should emphasize the symbolic importance of these buildings and their restorations. However, engagement of professionals, without sacrificing the involvement of the community, must also be secured. Keser-Kayaalp, Elif. “Preservation of the Architectural Heritage of the Syriac Christians in the Ṭur ʿAbdin: Processes and Varying Approaches.” TÜBA-KED: Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi Kültür Envanteri Dergisi 14 (2016): 57–69. Elif Keser-Kayaalp, Preservation of the Architectural Heritage of the Syriac Christians in the Ṭur ʿAbdin: Processes and Varying Approaches, TÜBA-KED: Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi Kültür Envanteri Dergisi 14 (2016): 57–69.