Aesthetic impact assessment of the restored heritage-Cut Minaret Mosque, Antalya, Turkey

Abstract

Kurkut mosque is one of the important historical buildings in Antalya Old Town, Kaleiçi and represents a special landmark for its cultural and architectural identity. In 1896 a great fire destroyed the mosque in including the wooden ‘külah’ (spire) of its minaret. The lower parts of the minaret remained intact. Afterwards, the mosque had been called the ‘Kesik Minare’ Camii’ (Cut Minaret Mosque). The Cut Minaret special form remained for many decades part of the identity of the old town. In 2017, a restoration project started to be prepared for the mosque and its minaret. Visual Impact Assessment is crucial in this regard in addition to Public Preference Analysis in order to understand the restoration projects on public acceptance. This research used Aesthetic Impact Assessment (AIA) to assess public appreciation of the aesthetic quality of the newly restored minaret of the Cut Minaret Mosque. A set of aesthetic principles was developed for this purpose. The aim was to provide insights on the cultural values of architectural conservation and restoration and their role in shaping the identity of a continuously changing society. It has been found that the aesthetics of the minaret after restoration got around average public appreciation. This directs the attention of both the cultural and religious authorities, and community organizations to pay better consideration for the public involvement and participation in such projects.