UNESCO Chair

Delaminating Istanbul is part of the AAA Study trip for “Transformation, Cities and Buildings.” In September, we visited Istanbul, where the weather was pleasantly warm and the city was quieter than during the bustling summer tourist season. Our exploration focused on the intricate urban and architectural developments spanning various eras, including the Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, and Turkish periods.

Our second-year students engaged in a deep mapping process, building on the foundational knowledge gained in the first week of the course. This enabled them to uncover the complex, interwoven layers of this complex city and to delineate their individual insights at both urban and architectural scales. They gained valuable perspectives on Europe’s largest and rapidly evolving metropolis, contributing meaningfully to the ongoing researches at the UNESCO Chair at Kadir Has University.

We collaborated closely with the Kadir Has University UNESCO Chair, which aligns with our focus on transformative practices. Centered on the historical peninsula, a UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site, our students had the unique opportunity to visit the Boukoleon Palace, which was opened exclusively for us with logistical support from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. This experience was enriched by the expertise of Prof. Dr. Banu Manav (Dean of the Faculty of Art and Design), Prof. Dr. E. Fusun Alioglu (the UNESCO Chair), and M. Architect Ayşen Kaya (IBB Heritage), who shared their insights on this remarkable site.

We invite everyone interested in the outcomes of the course to join us on October 11th at Project Room 1 (Level 1/AAA) at 13:00. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore our interactive DEEP MAP, showcasing the delaminated layers of both the Boukoleon Palace and the Historical Peninsula, as well as additional FUTURE LAYERS proposed to enrich everyday life for local residents.

The news can be followed on:

UNESCO Chair page (https://www.khas.edu.tr/en/unesco-chair/)

Kadir Has university FB page: (https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=518195744260642&rdid=XvS1Cm2Ulmubr3rp)

From Aarhus School of Architecture, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Naime Esra Akin, Dr. Thomas Hilberth and their students made technical trips to the Historical Peninsula of Istanbul, where Bukoleon Palace was the focal point. This event, within the scope of the “Istanbul” course directed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Naime Esra Akin and Dr. Thomas Hilberth at Aarhus School of Architecture, aimed to examine in depth the multifaceted and layered features of architecture built on the ruins of different historical periods, focusing on the historical peninsula, which is an archaeological site on the World Heritage List. In this event, which was organized with the logistical support of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Prof. Dr. Banu Manav, Prof. Dr. E. Fusun Alioglu and M.Architect Ayşen Kaya hosted this event and shared their knowledge and experience about this World Heritage site.

The UNESCO Chair and the Faculty of Art and Design will host the technical trip of the students of the Department of Architecture (Aarhus School of Architecture) of Aarhus University in Denmark to Istanbul between 29 September and 5 October within the framework of their 2024-2025 Fall Semester term projects under the direction of Associate Professor Naime Esra Akın. Prof. Dr. Banu Manav, Prof. Dr. E. Füsun Alioğlu and Architect Ayşen Kaya, a student of the Cultural Heritage Conservation Ph.D. Program, will contribute to this program.

Kadir Has University is leading an international project on preserving industrial heritage to encourage the exchange of knowledge, experience, and innovation.

The project CONSIDER: Sustainable Management of Industrial Heritage as a Resource for Urban Development has secured almost 1.2 million Euros from the European Union Horizon 2020 RISE Program. Universities, municipalities, city councils, conservation trusts, and heritage sites from several European and Middle Eastern countries are project partners.

CONSIDER will start in October 2021 and last four years. The project aims to research experiences gained in the EU countries and elsewhere, developing and sharing innovative ideas for preserving the industrial heritage and its sustainable integration into modern urban life.

The industrial heritage is an aspect of its cultural heritage and forms a part of a location’s identity. In the long run, abandoned buildings and sites can mean irreparable loss. Preservation and sustainable integration of the industrial heritage into modern urban life through innovative approaches aims to compensate for that loss.

Experiences and actual examples will be studied in a region extending England, Germany, Austria, Turkey, Israel, and China.

For more information:

Project Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Yonca Erkan

Website: https://considerproject.eu/

E-mail: consider@khas.edu.tr

Tel: 0212 533 65 32 (ext: 1568)

The Notre Dame Cathedral is widely regarded as the most beautiful example of French Gothic architecture, which includes innovative use of the rib vault and buttresses, colored stained glass rosettes, and sculptural decorations. Construction of the church began in 1160 and continued for a century.

“Notre Dame represents a literary heritage that appeals to the whole world, as well as architectural, cultural, and religious heritage,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, stating that damage assessment will be done as soon as possible: “We are already in contact with experts who will assess the damage, we will protect what can be preserved. We will evaluate the measures that can be taken in the short and medium-terms.”

The assessment would be undertaken with the authorities concerned, including national, local, site management, and church officials, to develop an appropriate plan to avoid further damaging the site and recover the original elements. Subsequently, UNESCO would accompany and support the authorities in rescuing, rehabilitating, and rebuilding the damaged heritage site based on accurate archival material, photos, films, historical documentation, plans, and drawings.

Source: https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1956

Photograph: Livio Garuccio © UNESCO

The opening ceremony of the UNESCO Chair on Management and Promotion of World Heritage Sites: New Media and Community Involvement was held at Kadir Has University on Wednesday, January 7. UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova also attended the opening ceremony on the campus.

Please click to view the text of the speech titled “Safeguarding the Past for a Better Future for All” delivered at the opening ceremony by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.