District 3, Parcel 165 — Excavation Survey + Restitution + Reconstruction Project

About the Project

The project covers the excavation survey, restitution and reconstruction of the building on parcel 165 in District 3. The foundation and wall traces uncovered on the excavation site, together with the levels, parcel boundaries, plant matter and material remains, were measured and documented.

At the restitution stage, the excavation data was assessed together with pre-earthquake photographs, the surviving architectural fragments and the character of traditional Antakya building. The reconstruction project rebuilds the sequence of spaces around the courtyard, the stone facades, timber joinery, balconies and roof structure within a historical whole.

Urban Context

Parcel 165 in District 3 holds a courtyard complex within the dense commercial and residential fabric of the Antakya Historic City Centre. Before the earthquake, the courtyard — enclosed by traditional stone facades, timber joinery, projecting bays and balconies — brought guest accommodation and commercial uses together. The foundation traces, parcel boundaries, courtyard levels and surviving fragments of facade that remain from this largely collapsed building form the principal data for the restitution and reconstruction decisions.

The Project in Numbers

Project Process

01

Excavation Survey — Foundation and Building Traces

The excavation survey documents the foundation boundaries still legible within the parcel, the wall remains, courtyard levels and the relationship with the surrounding buildings of this largely collapsed structure. The excavation points and photographic records were transferred onto the plan within a common measurement system.

The sections read the topography of the excavation surface, the depth of the foundation traces and the parcel boundaries; the ground material, stone and mortar remains and plant matter were classified so as to provide data for the rebuilding decisions.

Selected plans and sections from the excavation survey

BasisOn-site measurement · excavation and foundation traces · level readings · site photographs

02

Restitution — The Original Courtyard Configuration

The restitution assesses the physical traces from the excavation survey together with pre-earthquake photographs and the surviving fragments of the building. The sequences of rooms around the courtyard, the circulation between floors and the commercial and guest units are reread within the original configuration.

The ashlar facades, arched openings, timber joinery, iron balcony balustrades, projecting bays and hipped roofs have been carried into the restitution drawings together with the reliability grades of the traces, documents and period comparisons behind them.

Selected plans and elevations from the restitution sheet

BasisExcavation data · pre-earthquake photographs · surviving architectural elements · typological comparisons

03

Reconstruction — Rebuilding the Whole of the Building

The reconstruction project rebuilds the whole courtyard building defined in the restitution, together with current building-safety and use requirements. The spaces at ground floor, first floor and roof level are arranged according to the original courtyard-centred circulation scheme.

The stone facing, arched timber doors and windows, iron balcony balustrades, timber floors and ceilings and tile-clad roofs together reproduce the historical silhouette of the building and the character of its courtyard.

Selected plans, elevations and sections from the reconstruction project

BasisRestitution decisions · the original courtyard scheme · traditional materials and building techniques

Project Sheets

Project Team

• Yonca Yılmaz Çelebi
  M.Arch · Conservation Specialist
• Burcu Özlüoğlu
  Architect
• Eda Yabancı
  Conservator

Method and Sources

The sequence followed in this file — documentation, diagnosis, evidence-based restitution, repair with minimum intervention — is the established method of the conservation literature. Intervention decisions were taken on the principles that repair must not begin before the cause of damage has been diagnosed, and that the degree of intervention rises from consolidation towards reconstruction only as far as necessity requires. For the theoretical framework see Zeynep Ahunbay, Tarihi Çevre Koruma ve Restorasyon (YEM Yayın, 2009); for the principles, the Venice Charter (1964), the Nara Document on Authenticity (1994) and Turkish Law No. 2863 on the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Property.

Services applied in this project

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