Tourism-Based Urban Conservation Approach: The Rehabilitation of Antalya's Historic Center (original) (raw)

14th European Association For Urban History Conference: Urban Renewal and Resilience

This paper argues whether tourism should be the aim of an urban conservation plan or it should be a tool to integrate in conservation, focusing on the rehabilitation of Antalya's historic center, the first largescale urban conservation program implemented in Turkey. Antalya is one of the most popular touristic destinations situated on the Mediterranean coast. The origins of Antalya's historic center date back to the Hellenistic Period and is comprised of an intra-mural settlement (Kaleiçi) with a port. In 1973, Antalya was designated as a touristic zone and a protocol was signed between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Antalya Municipality, Building and Construction Ministry and the Supreme Board of Antiquities and Monuments for the rehabilitation of the port and Kaleiçi. First, the port and the buildings outside the walled city, which were mostly small workshops and abandoned buildings, would be restored as touristic facilities. Then with the revenues generating from tourism, Kaleiçi would be restored. Meanwhile, Antalya was included in the Southern Antalya Tourism Development Plan in 1977, with the ambitious aim to create a touristic accommodation capacity of 25.000 bed places. While the rehabilitation of the port area was successful, the Tourism Development Plan had negative impacts on Kaleiçi, because it aimed to convert historic residential units to touristic facilities. Some of the most prestigious mansions were expropriated and their owners had to move out, while some of the owners did not agree to rehabilitate their houses for touristic purposes. As a result, most of the residents of Kaleiçi had emigrated, the houses were either torn down and reconstructed in concrete or additional storeys/buildings were constructed to meet the requirements of touristic facilities. The paper will discuss the outcomes of Antalya experience, which demonstrates the significance of integrating physical and social factors in urban conservation programs.