AYDIN Province’s disappearing history could be given a shot in the arm from an unlikely source.
The county’s Büyük Menderes Platform – an agency interested in preserving the province’s ruins is preparing to launch a project to raise public awareness to the fate of Aydin’s historical monuments.
Under the project, the Platform seeks further protection of monuments, to strengthen the public’s understanding and historical tourism potential of the region.
To this end, it is seeking to apply to the British Society for Cultural Preservation Grant Fund for £18,000 to further the conversation aims of the project. It is also in liaison with Aydin Metropolitan Municipality to become one of the main partners of the project.
Platform chairman İbrahim Ayvazoğlu commented: “Aydin province has a lot of natural beauty, but is also the owner of an important heritage and has immense historical richness.
“However, some parts of our cultural heritage elements are not recognized enough by the public and, unfortunately, are not used for the potential of tourism. As a platform, we have prepared a project to reduce the impact of this negative situation.
“Our project includes 7 different places of historical interest in Aydin city that few people visit. We also seek to raise the issue of protection and greater public awareness of all monuments, and promote them.”
Some of the county’s monuments that he pointed to as critical to the project included:
Direcik Köyü Tümülüsü: Located at Yenipazar İlçesi Direcik Mahallesi, there is a stone tomb that is thought to date back to the Carian civilization.
Donduran Kulesi: An Ottoman era tower in danger of destruction
Orthosia ancient city: Few people visit this excavation, yet the structures date back to the Carian period in the district. There is also a settlement, a Byzantine necropolis and a fortress.
Alhan Hamamı: In Yenipazar, the haman dates back to the Ottoman period, consisting of adjoining room, a building is used and brick structure elements. Again it is danger of destruction and there are almost no visitors.
Dalaman Aqueduct: A unique four plate structure in good condition.
Dereköy Tower: In Aydin’s Efeler neighborhood, it is a late Roman-Byzantine period observation tower. It is danger of collapse and has no visitors.
Karahayıt Kümbeti: A vault and dome structure dating back to the early Ottoman period which is in good condition, but has little visitor-interest.
He added the platform and its project also encompassed sites in Kuşadası and Didim, as it sought to protect cultural heritage as a whole.