Mardin kentinin korunması kapsamında ' Surp Kevork Ermeni Kilisesi' restorasyon önerisi
The conservatıon and restoratıon rroject Of `Surp Kevork Armenıan Church? in Mardin
Yazar: AMİNE SEYHUN ALKAN REİS
Danışman: PROF. DR. ZEYNEP AHUNBAY
İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi / Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü / Mimarlık Ana Bilim Dalı / Restorasyon Bilim Dalı
Derece: Yüksek Lisans, 2012
Konu: Mimarlık = Architecture
Dizin: Restitüsyon = Restitution ; Restorasyon = Restoration

Özet:
Mardin tarihinde önemli bir yere sahip olan Ermeni nüfusu, günümüzde yok denecek kadar azalmıştır. Yaşanan siyasal ve sosyal olaylar nedeniyle şehri terkeden Ermeniler geride iki kilise bırakmışlardır. Mardin şehir merkezindeki kültür zenginliğinin parçası olan Surp Kevork Kilisesi kapalı iken, Surp Hovsep Kilisesi özel günlerde kullanıma açılmaktadır. Surp Kevork Ermeni Kilisesi ve içerisinde bulunduğu arazi Mardin Ermeni Cemaati Vakfına aittir. Yapı 1979'de GEEAYK kararı ile tescillenmiştir.Tezin amacı, önemli bir kültür mirası olan Surp Kevork Ermeni Kilisesi'nin korunması için bir projesi hazırlayarak gelecek nesillere aktarımı için gereken müdahalelerin nitelik ve kapsamını belirlemek olarak tanımlanmıştır.Tez çalışması, Surp Kevork Ermeni Kilisesi'nin günümüzdeki durumunun ayrıntılı betimlenmesini, rölöve, restitüsyon ve restorasyon projelerini içermektedir. Yapının günümüzdeki durumu fotoğraflar, rölöve çizimleri, malzeme ve hasar tespit analizleri aracılığıyla belgelenmiştir. Restitüsyon çalışması yapılırken analojik veriler, özgün belgeler, yapı üzerinde tespit edilen izler, eski fotoğraflar esas alınmıştır.Yapının mevcut hasarlardan arındırılarak yaşatılması ve işlevini sürdürebilmesi için çeşitli müdahaleler yapılması gerekmektedir. Bu gereklilik sadece kilise için değil bütün yerleşke için geçerlidir. Bu çalışma kapsamında yalnızca Surp Kevork Ermeni Kilisesi incelenebilmiş, yerleşkeyi oluşturan diğer hacimler kapsam dışında bırakılmıştır. Ancak yapılacak bir restorasyon uygulamasında kilisenin tek başına ele alınarak onarılması ve diğer mekanların oldukları şekilde bırakılması söz konusu olamaz. Yapının yeniden kullanımı ve restorasyonu ile ilgili alınacak kararların bütünlük içermesi gerekmektedir. En öncelikli müdahalenin malzeme sağlamlaştırması olduğu yapılan analizler sonucunda ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Kültür varlığının korunması, bakımının yapılması ve sürekliliğinin sağlanabilmesi için uygun bir işlev verilmesi gerekmektedir. Bu program hazırlanırken kilisenin kendi özgün işlevini gerektiğinde yerine getirmesine imkan tanıyacak esnek bir kullanım biçimi belirlenmelidir. Projede, yapının mimari özellikleri göz önünde bulundurularak, kilise ana mekanının konferans veya sergi salonu olarak kullanılması, yan mekanların ise ana işleve hizmet edecek servis mekanları olması önerilmiştir. Yapının bu şekilde yeni bir kullanım imkanına kavuşması, hem yapının yaşamasını sağlayacak hem de yapıya dışarıdan bir müdahale gerektirmeyeceği için istendiğinde özgün işlevin yerine getirilmesini mümkün kılacaktır.

Abstract:
Until the twentieth century, Mardin had a significant and influential Armenian community. They had to leave their homes following the unfortunate political and social events at the turn of the century. At the moment, there are only a few Armenian residents in the city. What is left of them are two churches and a number of residential buildings. One of these two churches, Surp Hovsep is open to the Armenian community only on special occasions, while the subject matter of this thesis, Surp Kevork Armenian Church is permanently closed. Surp Kevork Church compound belongs to the Mardin Armenian Community Foundation. It is a registered historical asset since 1979 (according to GEEAYK). The foundation of the church date back to the fifth century. According to Vartapet Husig Gülyan's manuscript, it was renovated in 1822 (Çerme V. A., 1999, p. 239). An epigraph which stated that the church was originally built in 420 AD was discovered during this renovation. However, a close investigation of the architectural elements suggests that the Surp Kevork Church gained its current form in the nineteenth century.The aim of this thesis is to propose a conservation project and to determine the conservation and restoration measures that are necessary for the protection of this cultural heritage.The thesis includes a detailed description of the current state of the Surp Kevork Church, an analytical survey, as well as the reconstitution and restoration proposals. The present condition of the church is documented by photographs, measured survey drawings; and material, chronology and damage assessment analyses. Surp Kevork Church is located with in a compound which consists of classrooms, residences, service areas and a cemetery. The entrance of the compound is from the west. A monumental gate followed by a vaulted passage leads to the courtyard. Which is surrounded by the church, the outhouses, the residences, the barn and the cemetery.The church does not have a narthex. Narrow streets and stairs behind the western wall of the church did not allow a narthex to be built. The naos (adyan) is approached by stairs located on the southern side of the building. The vaulted door leading to a large vestibule is the church's only entrance. Naos (adyan) consists of three naves, separated by two sets of pillars, standing on the east-west axis. On the easternmost end is the semicircular apse (horan). The vaulted entrances giving way to the abscissa also lead to the pastophoria (prosthesis and diakonikon). When the church was in use, apse and the pastophoria were accessible only to the clerics. The functional differentiation is emphasized further by the elevated floor of this area. At the moment, this part of the church is accessed by the steps in front of the diakonikon. There are two other rooms that can only be reached through the diakonikon and the prothesis. These two rooms are thought to be reserved for the use of the priests and for christenings. On the northern side of naos is the semicircular side-apse. Westwards from this area, there is a trapezoid room.In Mardin, the traditional construction material is limestone; a very soft and malleable material, ideal for manipulation and use. The stone gives Mardin buildings their unique colour, which is in perfect harmony with the landscape that frames the city. Surp Kevork Church neatly fits into this harmonious picture with its plain and simple façade. The church's façades are not visible from the street and its only relation to the surrounding streets is via the compound's outer walls. However, the eastern and southern façades of the church are visible from the environ; yet the northern wall is co-used by other buildings. Except from the northern one, the façades of the church are built with same size blocks (rectangular in cross-section). On the northern side, only the parapet wall that rises above the neighbouring buildings is visible. It is possible to identify the southern wall, where the entrance of the church is located, as the front façade. This façade consists of three parts. In the middle there is the southern wall of the naos; on both sides of this central mass are the spaces for services.Stone decay is visible on the walls of Surp Kevork Armenian Church. Inside the building there is serious damage due to both weathering and user interventions. The greatest of damage is evident in the decoration. The main reason for this is the use of the soft, dark yellow limestone at ornamented areas, instead of the light yellow hard limestone which is used for the structural elements. Another major area of decay is the plasters and the grout. There has been serious surface loss, especially on the southern and eastern facades. Most of the user interventions were made during the military occupation of the building between 1915 and 1919. Moreover, there has been inappropriate interventions during the 2002 renovations. These interventions even changed the plan of the building.The reconstitution project of Surp Kevork Armenian Church is based on analogical data, original documents, traces evident on the building and old photographs. Unfortunately, very little documentary evidence could be found about the former condition of the building. After the church was closed in 1915, the congregation was dispersed and the building was not maintained. The only written document about the church is at the possession of the Armenian Monastery in Vienna. This document, Vartabet Husip Gülyan?ın manuscript, states that the building was renovated in 1822. There is also a postcard by the Capucin Brothers, which can be found in M. Paboudjian?s collection, showing the southern façade of the building. Because the written and visual documents are scarce, for the reconstitution project, evidance visible on the building was meticulously assessed and interpreted. The visible changes of masonry on the façades and alterations of the doors and windows were studied and documented. Armenian churches from the fifth and sixth centuries are examined and compared with Surp Kevork Church. At the same time, nineteenth century Armenian churches were also studied and the churches in the region were used for comparison. After all these examinations and comparisons, period characteristics of the building were discussed.Major reconstitution problems of the church are as follows: At the moment the bell tower of the church is missing. Damaged roof is covered with cement and the original gargoyles have been removed. Original stones on the floor were partly removed and broken. Moreover there are no traces about the fittings indoors. All of these problems are addressed in the thesis, with the help of the analogical studies.The restoration project of Surp Kevork Armenian Church involves recommendations for eliminating the damages and for the protection of the building with a proper function. These recommendations apply to all of the compound, not only the church building itself. Although the other buildings of the compound are not studied in this thesis, they need to be included when the restoration project is actualised.According to the analysis, the most urgent intervention appears to be the strengthening of the materials. The roof cover should be replaced and the doors and windows should be covered with the installation of proper woodwork. These measures would protect the cultural artefact from weather conditions and guarantee its survival.The building needs a proper function in order to be maintained regularly. The designated function should be flexible enough to allow the compound to be used for its original function as a church. The restoration project recommends using the church as a conference or exhibition hall, and utilizing the other elements as service areas. This new function would prevent further damage and decay, and because it would not necessitate new interventions, it would allow the original function to take over when possible.