The central Sur district of Diyarbakır suffered great destruction as a result of the terrorist attacks that took place 9 years ago. In this context, the restoration work of 347 registered Diyarbakır houses is aimed to be completed by the end of the year.
The “Bayrak-12 Sur Joint Special Forces Operation” launched on November 28, 2015 against the terrorist organization PKK in Sur was successfully concluded on March 9, 2016. Following the operation, comprehensive work continues to eliminate the damage caused by terrorism in the historical district In this context, projects initiated 8 years ago by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change for the restoration of 347 registered houses in the Alipaşa Neighborhood in the Suriçi urban site area and in the Cevatpaşa, Dabanoğlu, Fatihpaşa, Hasırlı, Savaş and Cemal Yılmaz neighborhoods damaged in terrorist attacks are ongoing.
Restoration works are carried out meticulously by preserving the original texture of these historical houses, which attract attention with their courtyards, bay windows, iwans, pools, iron and basalt works. However, negative situations such as the Covid-19 process and the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023 have prolonged the restoration process. The works are carried out by TOKİ within the framework of projects prepared by the Ministry and approved by the Diyarbakır Cultural Heritage Protection Regional Board.
Restoration work has been completed in 49 of the 347 Diyarbakır houses so far. The restoration work in the other houses is planned to be completed by the end of the year and all houses will be delivered to their rightful owners.
‘We Aim to Deliver It to Its Rightful Owners by the End of 2024’
Provincial Director of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ufuk Nurullah Bilgin told AA that work to restore registered civil structures in the district began in 2016. He noted that project processes were extended due to the fact that they were registered structures, and that reasons such as Epidemics and disasters also delayed the work. Bilgin emphasized that they restored the houses in accordance with their original architectural structure and texture.
Bilgin said, “So far, the restoration of 49 structures has been completed. We aim to complete our work by the end of 2024 and deliver the registered houses to their rightful owners. When these structures are delivered to their rightful owners, some will be “used as residences, while others will function as guesthouses or boutique hotels. These will take shape over time in line with needs.”
Stating that the restoration work was carried out with great care, Bilgin noted that while the reconstruction and restoration projects of the houses were being prepared, the documents from the first registration period were examined and they tried to reflect the exact same building elements.
‘As the Artifacts Uncover, the Number of Tourists in the City Will Increase’
Bilgin said, “We are also replacing the stone, plaster and roof coverings in the damaged areas. We reveal these components one by one by numbering them according to their location and then restore the damaged areas. We are trying to create structures that are exactly the same as the iwan, bay window and veranda, which are the elements of traditional Diyarbakır houses.”
Emphasizing that Diyarbakır hosted 33 civilizations and that the Sur district is like an open-air museum with its historical and touristic structures, Bilgin stated that today, people’s desire to travel and see places has increased even more with structures that bear traces of history, civilization and culture
Bilgin said, “Sur is the richest district in our country where you can find these features together. We hosted over a million local and foreign tourists in our city during the previous Ramadan and Eid al-Adha holidays. We expect an increase of at least “This much after the restoration of the registered buildings is completed. As these works are revealed, there will be a noticeable increase in the number of tourists coming to the city.”
