Seyyahların Söylemiyle Silifke (Seleukeia Ad Kalykadnum) Kent Tarihi Anlatısı

Urban History of Silifke

Abstract

The continuity and sustainability of cultural heritage is a result of the urban planning historical narrative beyond understanding the history of cities. This study examines the social and physical elements of Silifke District, located in the west of Mersin, through the traces of travelers, as a theoretical reading of cultural history, while also presenting concrete analysis methods regarding the physical condition of the city. In the light of accessible documents, the information/documents that have become evidence to the present day, written or drawn by 31 travelers who visited Silifke for various purposes, constitute a framework for understanding the urban culture. Within the framework of the Conservation Plan approved by the Adana Cultural and Natural Heritage Preservation Regional Board in 1995, the cultural values identified within the boundaries where the Silifke 3rd Degree archaeological site intersects with the city center were blended with the information provided by travelers. In this context, within the framework of the main purpose of the study, travelers conducting research in the city were presented in a timeline, the findings were combined with current data, and original inferences were made regarding the evidence of urban memory and cultural continuity, approximately 350 years in the theoretical framework and approximately 185 years ago through drawings and findings. As a result, the chronological and systematic data of the travelers' traces used as a base, which will shed light on cultural history research, were presented as a method proposal for each multi-layered city reading. In addition, it was aimed for these evaluations to guide decision-making mechanisms in the transfer and preservation of cultural history.