No society on earth has the luxury of leaving the fate of a work that is the pearl of the 13th century to the initiative of three or five members of the scientific board, chiefs at key points of the bureaucracy, and amateurs.
A while ago, the so-called restoration of Ocaklı Ada Castle in Şile occupied the press. Undoubtedly, the restoration of the Istanbul walls supported by the Taç Foundation is also a wedding cake-like work done according to Hollywood taste. The restoration of Vlaherna Palace, Sümela among the restorations in Anatolia and many other countless works are at the top of these. There are also more unpleasant examples. Especially in Istanbul, when a new building is being built, old works in the foundation are buried in concrete; in the future, historians will rightfully ask what the Palace Stables under the old Beşiktaş İnönü Stadium and, most importantly, the Dolmabahçe Theater were. A GOOD RESULT NEEDS STUDYING, BUT IT DOESN’T EXIST either It is known that white cement was used incorrectly and unconsciously in the Topkapı Palace itself in the 1940s and 1960s. For example, this use on the Hırka-i Saadet can be seen better when compared to the original, proper restoration on the other side of the wall. Another misfortune of the palace was that in the 1940s, bureaucrats found the wooden dome in the Enderun treasury inadequate and had it made with stone and cement. In addition to the problem created by the excessive load these new domes put on the retaining walls of the building, unexpected effects were also seen in terms of the heating settings in the Treasury Department. Restorers do not know the material; the characteristics of old structures have not been studied well. It is undoubtedly unwise to use every new material introduced to the world of construction or every applied technique in the restoration of old works. Unfortunately, the architect community cannot train good restorers. Because this second branch requires a tremendous knowledge of history and art history, vast geographical observations and accumulation. Recently, the government has started talking about protecting the environment and the destruction caused by the rising Istanbul. However, there is not even the slightest promising attempt to prevent and correct the recent illegal constructions. Poor Istanbul; where is the authority that will implement the decisions that are somehow issued by the courts to protect your beauty?
ROOF GUTTERS OF THE DOUBLE MINAREL MADRASA Is it only Istanbul? Here is another example from Anatolia. Located in the middle of Erzurum and built by Hüdâvent Hatun, the daughter of Alaeddin Keykubad I, the Çifte Minareli Madrasa is a work of resistance in Erzurum, which was under the influence of the Ilkhanate Mongols of Iran after the Battle of Kösedağ, although it was not officially included in their borders. It is known that the Çifte Minare in front of it was destroyed in the past. It is also known that this area, where local people and university students sit throughout the day and evening, where tea and coffee are chatted during the short Erzurum summer, has undergone a long restoration that lasted for years due to its unique architecture. Unfortunately, we are not a country of great restorers. A restoration specialist has to be a good engineer, a good historian and an artist. For this reason, endless conflicts, cancellations and extensions are seen between authorized boards and Monuments and contractors in all old building restorations. How will the roof gutters of this famous 13th century building be arranged?
TO WHOM IS THE PEARL OF THE 13TH CENTURY ENTRUSTED This is an aesthetic issue, but above all, it is a technical invention. It is seen that the gutters inside and outside the building have caused a reaction among the public and art historians. They are right. However, in such important restorations, everyone should show interest and expand their knowledge. No society on earth has the luxury of leaving the fate of a work that is the pearl of the 13th century to three or five members of the scientific board, to the key executives in the bureaucracy and to the initiative of amateurs. It is necessary to remember how the restoration of Warsaw, which was deliberately destroyed by Hitler after World War II, was carried out as a national mobilization. Who is the greatest restoration expert? Answer: It is the people themselves who know, are curious about, engrave in their memory and fight for the preservation of the heritage of their ancestors. Otherwise, nothing will work properly. HISTORY TEXTBOOKS IN SECONDARY EDUCATION The subjects covered in the draft curriculum are extensive. It is highly doubtful that a text of this breadth will be produced. In Turkey, town politics has become eager to intervene in the idea of history. A grave development... If we consider the history of education in the 18th and 19th centuries, this is not the first example. From revolutionary France to constitutional monarchist Britain, from the German duchies and the Austrian Empire to autocratic (tyrannical) Russia, the same thing was tried everywhere. In the history conveyed to the masses, care was taken to correctly identify and describe events and institutions, but to distort the interpretations to the extent parallel to the ideology of the empires or nationalities. This artificial history caused an interpretation to enter schools, where everyone from Voltaire to Hegel evaluated their own French or German world as the highest level humanity had reached. WHAT IS ON THE AGENDA? Most people learn history in school; this is still valid today. It is clear that Turkey is not the first country to enter this trend; some zealous people ignored the Turkish Empire's intervention in the history lesson. It was late but it was not ambitious for school history... Fezleke-i Tarih-i Osmani is a modest example of raising awareness. Some political scientist friends(!) took up the history of the Kemalist period because they did not have the ability or did not feel the need to examine contemporary history courses in each country comparatively. In fact, some of those who took up Turkish history textbooks were foreign Turkologists. Their interpretations and knowledge base were poor. What was expected from them was a more comprehensive comparative text analysis. Let's not go into too much detail; today, the Ministry of National Education is taking up history courses. The history course curriculum prepared for 9th-12th grades is on the agenda of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. In addition to the grotesque history interpretations discussed on the street and in the amateur press and publication organs (it is possible to interpret this as 'distorted' beyond ridiculous), it seems that the curriculum will also change. I looked at the draft curriculum; the subjects covered are too broad. It is very doubtful that a text suitable for this breadth will be produced. It goes as far as belief systems. Metaphysics, sects, creation myths, etc., such infinite concepts will be explained. TELL HISTORY Just a scheme; just tell history, that will be enough. You can write the truths and established facts of history and only then comment. How to educate young minds with grand claims is a matter of curiosity. Unfortunately, our academic world is not in touch with the teachers who write middle school and high school texts. Either they are not desired by teachers or they do not know how to approach a wide audience. The appeal of the book market makes such an interest impossible by nature. Therefore, writers need to write alternative books and provide commentary. The Ministry of National Education's efforts to legislate book writing will only backfire.
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