Spreadsheet: 4b9fbe7d-d445-4051-8418-49d2ba5e5f00
Sheet: Sayfa1

Topics for demonstrating best management practice: |  |  |  |  |  |  | Please indicate in this column why your World Heritage property is a best practice in relation to the topic:
1) | Conservation: |  |  |  |  |  | Neslişah and Hatice Sultan Districts Renewal Project shall set "an example and a model” in the building of the “renovation” concept in the country as per the methodologies and standards set as the first and most important project under Law No. 5366 on ‘Preservation by Renovation and Utilization by Revitalizing of Deteriorated Immovable Historical and Cultural Properties’. Since Istanbul land walls are inscribed as world heritage, the ramparts and its environs are considered under the UNESCO decisions. Land walls and annexes including historical and cultural monuments were wholly preserved and removed of any illegal occupations in the surrounding. An Infrastructure and the social and cultural texture areas were created to assist in the conservation of living culture. The current composition of ownership in the region is comprised of 620 residences and 44 business places. The project is based on this number of households and their actual state. The aim of the project is to ensure that all of the families residing in the region continue to be residents.
 | What innovative management practices or strategies are being applied in order to ensure the conservation of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property (e.g. Better resource management, restoration and rehabilitation, addressing various manmade or natural threats and challenges, etc.)?
2) | Local People: |  |  |  |  |  | Project development phase included meetings with the right holders in the region for two months. The inhabitants were asked to discuss about the project they wanted, their expectations from the municipality, and their wishes about their involvement in the project in a detailed manner. The discussions revealed the requirement that the project must be conceptualized as a social project in the view of the residences' economic, social and cultural facilities.  [NAME], the project was presented to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Mass Housing Administration of Turkey (TOKİ) because the only way to realize the project as a social and transformational project was to ensure involvement of the public; and TOKİ decided to construct the buildings at their cost. This decision was rendered binding by a protocol mutually executed on 13.07.2006.  The value of all real properties located within the region was assessed by a jointly formed commission and these values were ascertained by finding the highest value only after the comparison of the figures provided by Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and Istanbul Chamber of Real Estate Agents. The protocol stipulated that each right holder who lawfully owned an independent property within the project area (house-office) would be given an independent property, and each tenant in the project area would be given a house by TOKİ from the social housing built by TOKİ in another region of Istanbul (Gaziosmanpaşa-Taşoluk) from which no down-payment would be requested, and the total sum would be paid in 180 months (15 years) to begin after the delivery of the houses.  Moreover, owners and tenants who resided in the region would be given rents within the project implementation phase (until they are given new houses) and the rent payments are started.
 | What exemplary practices are you using in order to effectively address the needs of local stakeholders within the management system for the property, and enable their full and active participation?
3) | Legal Framework: |  |  |  |  |  | To sustain the "Outstanding Universal Value" of Istanbul Land Walls as a World Heritage Site, Neslişah and Hatice Sultan Districts including many other adjacent areas were declared Renewal Areas according to the Law No. 5366. This law stipulates that housing, commercial, cultural, tourism and social sites should be allocated, any precautions against natural disasters should be taken, historical and cultural properties should be conserved by renovation in the regions that comprise timeworn and impaired cultural and natural assets registered and declared by conservation boards as conservation sites, and the conservation sites within the borders of these regions by means of re-building and restoring in line with the development of the region.
 | What special measures have you taken to ensyre that the legal framework for the World Heritage site is effective in maintaining the OUV of the property?
4) | Boundaries: |  |  |  |  |  | The aim of the project is to allow all families who inhabit the region to reside in this place. However, it is legally impossible for the tenants to acquire houses from the region since they do not hold ownership rights. Nevertheless, the practice became a first in Turkey, and tenants within the project scope are assigned rights to acquire houses under the same conditions. The number of tenant households is 346, and they will be able to continue to reside in the region if and should they will be able to agree with their former landlords. The project includes development of housing and business places the same number as the number of current households.  The protocol stipulated that each right holder who lawfully owned an independent property within the project area (house-office) would be given an independent property, and each tenant in the project area would be given by TOKİ a house from the social housing built by TOKİ in another region of Istanbul (Gaziosmanpaşa-Taşoluk) from which no down-payment would be requested, and the total sum would be paid in 180 months (15 years) to begin after the delivery of the houses.  Moreover, owners and tenants who resided in the region would be given rents during the implementation period of the project (until they are given new houses) and the rent payments are already started.
 | What innovative ways of dealing with the boundaries of the property, including for management of the buffer zone do you have in place, to effectively to manage the site and protect its OUV?
5) | Sustainable Finance: |  |  |  |  |  | Neslişah and Hatice Sultan Districts are positioned between two main arteries called Vatan Main Street and Fevzipaşa Main Street, just near the Istanbul Land Walls, and form a significant urban focus point that causes the town to open up (to other town focuses). For this occasion, it is considered the center of settlement, tourism, history, culture, trade and economic life.  The project was prepared with utmost care in consideration of all data; an attraction center drawing on contemporary building techniques, where modern living levels up to humanistic living standards are achieved while historical and cultural heritage is conserved and renovated. The project was designed in 2, 3 and 4 storey buildings with an inner court system, starting right after the walls. Vehicle traffic is eliminated except for emergency and all the grounds are allocated for pedestrians. The grounds are reserved completely for social facilities, green areas, leisure, pedestrian paths, children’s play area, promenade, etc. Other than the houses, an elementary education facility, accommodation unit, and an area with commercial center at the basement floor and culture and education center at the second floor. The culture and education center is designed to preserve, improve and promote cultural values of the region, while earning its worthy place within national and international values. Measures thus taken will improve the welfare of region's population and provide that the growth becomes sustainable while observing the drafted management plan.
 | What effective strategies have you developed and implemented to assure adequate and sustainable financial resources for implementing the management measures required to maintain the site's OUV?
6) | Staffing Training and Development : |  |  |  |  |  | Preliminary Renewal Project has been drafted in line with the principles and considerations defined by the consultation and with the contribution of expert academicians from universities. The administration plan developed by experts from varying occupational groups to take roles in the regional administration system, will provide the continuity of the region's administration. The existing staff of restoration architects, architects, urban planners, archaeologists and art historians who were involved in the preparation of Renovation Preliminary Study gained expertize by participating in every phase of this "first" project planned within the scope of Law No. 5366. Moreover, the expert staff gained a growing awareness on the protection of world heritage sites by joining trainings and seminars organized by universities and non-governmental organizations.
 | What approaches and strategies have you developed and implemented to assure that the human resources are adequate to manage the World Heritage property?
7) | Sustainable Development: |  |  |  |  |  | The key principle of the project has become the conservation of the Land Walls  and the surrounding. In this context, sustaining the historical texture and preventing physical deterioration, encouraging economical development, safeguarding cultural dynamics and boosting urban integration and life quality, and promoting involvement will yield the sustainability of the project in line with the principles set forth in the scope of the project.
 | What are the effective mechanisms in place to ensure taht resource use permitted in and around the World Heritage site is sustainable and does not impact negatively on OUV?
8) | Education and Interpretation Programmes: |  |  |  |  |  | Professional chambers, organizations and NGO's were informed in mutual meetings in order to create added value in the development of the project. The municipality representatives participated in the meetings held by non-governmental organizations in relation to this project and provided detailed information. The building planned to serve as a culture center will accommodate training and information meetings on the topic of world heritage sites in the Historic Peninsula within the scope of management plan for the intention of drawing the attention of inhabitants on the unparalleled heritage site they have been living in, and of raising awareness on the subject of conserving world heritage sites within the Historic Peninsula.
 | How do the education, interpretation and awareness programmes you have developed and implemented significantly enhance the understanding of OUV of the site among stakeholders?
9) | Tourism and Interpretation: |  |  |  |  |  | Neslişah and Hatice Sultan Districts are positioned between two main arteries called Vatan Main Street and Fevzipaşa Main Street, just near the Istanbul Land Walls, and form a significant urban focus point that yields the town to open up (to other town focuses). Therefore, it is considered the center of settlement, tourism, history, culture, trade and economic life. The project created new centers of attraction, revived and led to occupation of urban centers instead of settlement in outlying regions, eliminated the segregation within city; promoted historic, cultural and urban life up to humanistic and contemporary living standards, and re-connected the spatial continuity that once lost its touch with the city. The project will also contribute to the strengthening of a sense of belonging in the region by involving all the layers of the society while safeguarding the qualified (registered) and monumentary building stock that are on a rapid decline and deteriorating spatial function.  In addition, space for pedestrians will be reserved in line with the management plan for the region that embraced its heritage, and invite visitors. The pedestrian route will start from the region where Neslişah and Hatice Sultan Districts Preliminary Plan is  and continue along the Land Walls from Mihrimah Sultan Mosque to Kariye Museum, Tekfur Palace and [NAME], followed with [NAME] and towards [NAME] direction. The printed plan of the  pedestrian route will also be shared with tourism agencies and included in touristic tours.
 | What innovative plans have you designed and successfully implemented to ensure that visitor management does not negatively impact on the maintenance of the property's OUV?
 | Additional Comments: Renewal  Site of Neslişah and Hatice Sultan Quarters (Sulukule) Neslişah (Sulukule) and Hatice Sultan  districts which bear the qualities of depression area with its rugged and neglected buildings within the Protection Zone of the Land Walls. Neslişah and Hatice Sultan Districts are announced as Renewal Areas under the Law no: 5366. The project runs jointly by Fatih Municipality, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Mass Housing Administration (TOKI) and was formally put into force with a protocol signed in September, 2005. The project aims at providing renovation to these two districts within the walls in harmony with the surrounding historical texture of the area and healty building and infrastructure that are in conformity with the urban and architectural heritage of the historical peninsula. * There will be 12 blocks in the project. 9 The project area covers 10 streets and 3 avenues. * It includes 354 lots, 22 registered monuments. 17 of the registered monuments are in the nature of civil architecture and 5 are monumental works. The project will be applied on a net area of 46.091.19 m2.
 | Brief Description/ Summary of the best practice, including a statement on how it can be useful for other sites (max.600 words) : Renewal  Areas of Neslişah and Hatice Sultan Quarters (Sulukule) The Renewal Area covers an area of 90,942.16 m², and situated within the Protection Zone of Land Walls, between Edirnekapı and Vatan Avenue. The project site covers 12 plots and 378 parcels. 46 of the registered properties feature civil architecture styles, while 15 are monumental structures.   A 13,000 m² area owned by our Municipality has also been included in the project, in order to build and sufficiently meet the amount of housing needed.   The target here is to avoid demolishing taking place inside the area and reintegrate it with the city, based on a renewal model regarding the physical space, and allowing property owners to enjoy their property rights.   Registered properties were taken into great account during preparation of projects. As a result, 24 registered properties of that time were increased up to 30, together with the properties our [NAME] proposed for registration. Renewal implementation project for the site was drawn up according to the draft design approved on 02.11.2007. The Conservation Board for Renewal Areas granted a plot-based approved in 2010. Properties were further analyzed while renewal implementation projects were drafted, and other structures were also spotted for registration. Thus, the number of registered properties featuring civil architecture styles increased to 46. Survey, restitution and restoration projects for all the registered properties within the renewal area were drafted and approved. All registered properties will be restored in accordance with approved projects. Studies have also started for restoration of the cultural properties within the site, such as monumental mosques and fountains, with the cooperation of the General Directorate of Foundations and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.  What is intended in the 91,000 m2 site is not only space-based renewal, but also creation of common areas such as greenery, parks, playgrounds, trade and cultural centers, thus improving living conditions of the residents.   Sulukule will also hold substantial tourist and cultural potential, owing to its integration and the relation it has created with the city. Sulukule stands on an outstanding tourist and cultural route along the city walls. It also complements the route along Tekfur Palace, [NAME], [NAME] and Fener-Balat Culture.  It is designed as a living space nurtured by these areas, rather than a challenging party against this cultural potential.  The implementation process started pursuant to the Renewal Implementation Project, which was approved by the Conservation Board for Renewal Areas, and continued throughout 2011.  Before construction work started, the site underwent soil screening, under the “Electrical and Magnetic Soil Screening Works.” The implementation process continued after related soil reports were approved by the Conservation Board. 165 blocks will be built on the renewal area. Construction of 90% of these blocks has been finalized.