Conservation and Planning Problems in Diyarbakir Castle City

Abstract

Surici region, the first settlement part of Diyarbakir, has been a settlement area with specific values throughout its history. It has been the cradle of many civilizations, located as it is, in an important commercial transportation axis serving the commercial center, These factors have affected the development of the city. The cultures found in Anatolia and the Mesopotamia regions have influenced the development of Diyarbakir city and it developed a mixed urban morphology because of its position in the region. The walls around the city played an important part in the urban settlement pattern by preserving the integrity of the city. However, the Diyarbakir Surici region has begun to lose this important tissue in the last several decades. Prepared city plans and the approaches of enforcement agencies have played a role in this process. This study aims to offer ways in which the conservation of the Diyarbakir Surici region and its historical texture can be sustained.