[URL="http://uploadpics.a2a.cc"].[/URL][URL="http://www.a2a.cc"].[/URL]As part of an urban renewal project that has been launched in Mardin -- a Turkish city where for centuries various religions and languages have coexisted in peace -- mosques, madrassahs, historic homes and now 1,500-year-old churches, including one of the most important places of worship for Süryanis -- the Deyrulzafaran Monastery -- are being restored.
Mardin’s urban renewal project is the most all-encompassing one in Turkey’s history; within its scope, the city’s concrete homes are being torn down one by one, with compensation being offered by the city to building owners. The first stage of the project will involve the razing of 700 concrete homes. And in the coming three years, around 1,500 concrete structures in total will be razed to the ground.
Urban renewal project
According to Mardin Governor Hasan Duruer, the city’s ambitious urban renewal project has been implemented step by step. The 7,000-year-old city has been put forward by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as a candidate for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage List. Governor Duruer noted that the ultimate goal of the urban renewal efforts, which are backed jointly by the Mardin Governor’s Office and the municipality, was to return the historic city of Mardin to the way it looked around a century ago.
Duruer said unplanned and illegal structures that line the city’s main boulevard, which itself has been declared under state protection as a historic zone, have been identified. He went on: “We have begun razing structures -- not the least being publicly owned structures -- that were previously built within the declared protected zone. The past two years of efforts on this front have seen the removal of more than 15 public buildings and more than 100 spots where concrete bulges out onto the street or boulevard. This project to demolish buildings will continue until the city achieves a physical appearance that is somewhat akin to what it was 100 years ago. Our goal for next year is to see the razing of at least 700 buildings. We are making an effort to be as sensitive as possible and to not cause any grievances among our citizens. Despite predictions that the cost for these efforts would reach TL 20 million, we have actually only spent TL 10 million.”
Duruer noted that reparation and restoration efforts are continuing without making any distinction between religion or language. He also said Mardin possessed an extraordinary cultural heritage, and as such, ancient churches belonging to the city’s Süryani community were pegged next for restoration. He noted: “The Deyrulzafaran monastery was picked for restoration efforts. Now we will restore the Kırklar Church and the Mor Efrem Church. We are doing what suits a city known for its tolerance. We are restoring both churches and mosques, with no distinguishing between religions or languages.”
To transform Mardin back to what it was around 100 years ago, TL 100 million is needed.
Governor Duruer noted that in addition to tearing down concrete buildings, they are repairing structures that need help all over the city. Duruer said these activities were under way in around six-seven different neighborhoods and that they were focusing on the general physical state of smaller streets and walls and cement seams as well. He explained: “Our citizens are coming on their own to apply to have their concrete structures demolished. We pay whatever price will actually help them out and not put them in a difficult position. We are trying to enable all the beauty of our many stone structures to emerge. So we are really working to improve the substructure we need to attract 5 million tourists in the next five years. For us, the repairs are just as important as the razing. We are doing both equally and in balance. As for renewal efforts on our drinking water lines, we will be implementing those in 2011. We need around TL 100 million to cleanse Mardin entirely of its concrete. If we are able to find this money, Mardin will be returned to what it originally was, and we will be hosting around 300,000-500,000 tourists a month.”
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