ARKEOLOJİK ALANLARDA KORUMA SORUNLARI KURAMSAL VE YASAL AÇILARDAN DEĞERLENDİRME

Abstract

In Ottoman Turkey, interest in archaeology and archaeological sites started with the discovery of impor­tant sites like Troy, Ephesus and Pergamon in the nineteenth century. Due to lack of legislation related to the protection of archaeological heritage, the finds from the early excavations were transported to Euro­pean museums or private collections. In late nineteenth century, an archaeological museum was found­ed in Istanbul and the extant legislation was amended to keep the discovered objects in the country. With the establishment of the Turkish Republic, archaeology was taught in the universities and the capacity to preserve archaeological heritage was developed by conservation programs. Yet, until 1973 it was not pos­sible to designate archaeological sites and define measures for the protection of the surrounding areas. In addition to the law on protection of cultural heritage, several principles were developed to classify and pre­serve the archaeological heritage. In 1999, Turkey signed the Valetta Convention for the Preservation of European Archaeological Heritage and tries to follow the guidelines set by this document. Turkey's rich archaeological heritage spans from the prehistoric to late medieval period, including Byzan­tine and Seljuk sites. The number and variety of assets requires careful documentation and protection. Archaeological sites are threatened by natural as well as man made factors. Some sites disappear even with­out being recorded. It is necessary to raise awareness in the protection of the cultural heritage and support the protection process with financial means and multidisciplinary work. The completion of the cultural her­itage inventory, the implementation of site management plans, monitoring of the archaeological sites and the surrounding landscape are important topics to be considered.