Evaluation Of the Historical Walled City of Diyarbakir in Terms of Its Morphological Features

The walled city Region, Diyarbakir’s first settlement, has been a hub of civilization and commerce throughout history. Its strategic location on an important trade transportation axis and its cultural influences from both Anatolian and Mesopotamian regions have contributed to the city's growth. Diyarbakir's urban morphology is unique due to its mixed characters, which has been shaped by various cultures over time. Despite being surrounded by castle walls, the city has maintained its integrity and settlement pattern until recently. Unfortunately, in recent decades, the Diyarbakir Walled Region has been losing its historical texture. This can be attributed to the plans and approaches of implementing institutions. This study aims to identify the main factors contributing to the failure to preserve the Diyarbakir historical walled city region and offer suggestions for conservation efforts in regions with similar historical texture. Diyarbakir Castle City grew from a small castle on fertile lands due to its strategic location in Turkey's Southeastern Region, which attracted many civilizations. While the establishment date is unknown, the inner castle area is the first settlement. The castle grew by adapting to the land's shape, and its urban texture began in the ۱۹th century with many single buildings works specific to the states under its sovereignty. However, modernization movements until the ۱۹th century affected the historical urban texture and original structure of the surrounding castle, causing its deterioration. Legal regulations, resettlement policies, and local government practices in Turkey are among the factors contributing to the degradation process. This study challenges incomplete and irreversible urban renewal practices and posits that urban morphology and identity should be considered together in projects. By doing so, urban renewal interventions can have a more controllable and effective impact on the urban fabric and help solve the problem of urban layers that struggle to establish relationships with the city. This study examines urban morphology and identity, starting with a literature review. The Diyarbakir Walled City Urban Renewal Project was analyzed through mapping and detailed analysis of selected building blocks. The Diyarbakir city walls are geoscientific ally noteworthy, with two distinguishing features. The first is the use of basalt stone in their construction. The location of the quarries from which the wall material was obtained and the way the material was produced are remarkable phenomena. The cost of separating the material from the bedrock and reducing it to portable size increased the cost of construction. The walls served as the most important reference structure in the formation of the walled city neighborhood. The transportation and infrastructure axes in the city's inner part were shaped in accordance with Roman city design. The area between these axes turned into building blocks that enabled the formation of the city. The Diyarbakir Walled City has a mixed texture, shaped by buildings with various characteristics.

کلیدواژه ها:

Urban Renewal ، Urban Identity ، Urban Morphology ، Diyarbakir walled city