Tourism development versus historic preservation in Turkey reaches ‘fever pitch’

Last week AOL journalist Melanie Renzulli reported that the conflict between historic preservation and tourism development has reached a “fever pitch” in Turkey.

Renzulli referred to the Art Newspaper, which reported that Turkey’s recent transfer of archaeological excavation permits from the hands of non-Turkish to Turkish scholars implies a “crackdown” on foreign universities for its slow pace in turning Turkey’s abundance of historic sites into tourist attractions.

Experts agree that the threat of tourism development to historic preservation, both of which fall under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is real.

“Not only in Turkey, but also all over the world, tourism, especially mass tourism, has a negative effect on the historic and natural environments,” Professor Nuran Zeren Gülersoy of urban planning at İstanbul Technical University told Sunday’s Zaman this week.

Dr. Thomas Zimmermann, archaeology department chair at Bilkent University, called the relationship between tourism and the preservation of historic sites in Turkey a “double-edged sword.”

“As an archaeologist, our foremost goal is to preserve the historic heritage,” Zimmermann began. But archaeologists preserve these sites partly so that they can share these ancient treasures with the public, he added, noting Turkey’s booming tourism industry. “At the same time, we also work to make people aware and more sensitive to the protection of our rich history,” which Zimmermann and other experts argue is in danger in Turkey.

Zimmermann said the problem of historic preservation in Turkey boils down to how the rich historical heritage of Turkey is managed. According to Zimmermann, the numerous layers of red tape in managing Turkey’s historic sites ironically threatens their preservation. “The grossly inefficient paper mill and competence and power tussles too often delay urgent measures to protect endangered monuments,” he complained.

Associate Professor Maria Dolores Alvarez has quite a different perspective, but she agrees that there is a problem.

Alvarez, associate chair of the tourism department of education at Bosporus University, told Sunday’s Zaman that tourism infrastructure development in Turkey could use a lesson in sustainability. She also drew attention to management and traffic problems regarding historic tourist attractions.

“Tourism development needs to be carried out in a more sustainable way in this country,” she began. In Alvarez’s opinion, a better management of historic sites that are also tourist attractions would not only attract more visitors, but it also could be positive for preservation, reducing impact on now high-traffic antiquities.

Turkey is practically bursting at the seams with antiquities, but Alvarez said that tourists tend to visit some parts of İstanbul like Sultanahmet Square more than others. “People come to İstanbul, they see the main attractions, and then they leave, thinking that there is no need to come back. But there are other countless other historic sites, of course. We need to work on getting those people to come back,” she said.

Zimmermann and Gülersoy echoed Alvarez in that not all historic sites are treated equally in Turkey, something that is reflected in their preservation or lack thereof.

The Temple of Augustus in Ankara is one such historic treasure that, because of negligence, all but decayed. Zimmermann said on the outer facade of the cella of the temple was the fully preserved political manifesto of Augustus (in its original Greek and Latin), which founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Atatürk used in restructuring the political backdrop of his own nation. But the Temple of Augustus had practically collapsed before it received any attention. “This temple is of the utmost importance to Turkey’s heritage. Project proposals for its restoration were made, but nothing happened. Now, it is preserved and protected, but it was almost too late. They waited until it was crumbling away,” he said.

According to Gülersöy, the only historic areas not in danger in İstanbul are either choked with tourists or home to Turkey’s upper crust. “Almost all historic sites of İstanbul -- excluding perhaps some of the neighborhoods along the Bosporus and on the Princes’ Islands and other touristic or prestigious historic areas that have been settled by high society -- risk losing their historic characteristics,” she warned.

Gülersoy added there are many places like the historic areas of Zeyrek and Süleymaniye that may not fall under the List of World Heritage in Danger but are still at risk nonetheless.

Last summer UNESCO officials decided in Brussels that İstanbul would not be removed from the World Heritage List and added to the List of World Heritage in Danger. They did call on Turkish authorities, however, to complete their master plan for the protection of the city’s historic sites in a thorough manner in order to evaluate the effects of major infrastructure projects on the city’s cultural heritage and to protect historic Ottoman homes.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Zimmermann said of endangered historic sites and monuments in Turkey. According to the archaeology expert, the “Black Book” on archaeological destruction in Turkey, published by the Archaeological Settlements in Turkey (TAY) project, lists 313 endangered and partially destroyed monuments for the Byzantine period alone in the Marmara region in 2008.

Experts agree Turkey has taken significant steps in reclaiming its historical heritage in the last few decades.

But, according to Gülersoy, Turkey’s historic sites are still in danger. “Despite all the efforts made during the last three decades, excluding a few examples, historic and natural conservation efforts still have not reached desired levels. It is a fact that changing living conditions, rapid population growth, the continuous exhaustion of natural and historical resources and technological advances have made it necessary to develop urgent and efficient policies in order to conserve whatever natural and cultural values are left,” she said.

The last few months alone have revealed Turkey’s reorientation to protecting its rich history.

The İstanbul Special Provincial Administration announced last month it planned to restore Kilyos Castle, a centuries-old fortification that was reconstructed during the Ottoman period, to bring it back to its former glory.

And the southeastern city of Mardin has stepped up restoration efforts in advance of reapplying in 2014 for inscription of the city in the coveted list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

But retired general and archaeological enthusiast Haldun Solmazturk said that positive developments in the preservation of historic sites in Turkey should be attributed to “civil society groups and archaeologists’ efforts to stop or at least curb what can only be described as the Turkish government’s indifference, even hostility, toward archaeology and archaeological sites.”