Reconstruction Traditional Settlements in Cappadocia: Questions of Sustainability

Abstract

Cappadocia, today a popular tourist destination in central Turkey, is internationally known for its peculiar volcanic landscape and abundant rock-cut architecture. In 1985, the “Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia” had been inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage List, which in turn led to an increase in visitors’ number. Accordingly, by the 1980s, construction of large hotel facilities ignoring the natural, historical and traditional setting accelerated. Parallel to the international trends of the tourism industry, by the end of the 1990s, traditional houses began to be “restored/reconstructed” and turned into “boutique hotels”. This transformation first started with individual houses, and followed by houses in neighbouring plots that were put together into hotel complexes. Today, the transformation comprises even entire neighbourhoods. This paper is questioning the rapid physical and conceptual transformation of the traditional settlements with regard to cultural and social sustainability. It also discusses the accuracy and reliability of large scale “reconstruction” projects and the degree of falsification.