COST ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES USED IN THE OTTOMAN ERA

Abstract

There is no doubt that throughout all the ages, cost estimations have formed the foundations of the construction planning process. At every age the cost estimate was very important and as it is now budget preparations were made. In the Ottoman times the estimations of new and repair works were determined beforehand. For this purpose quantity survey based or design prepared on graph paper were used by taking unit prices into consideration. In this respect during the Ottoman era no construction work was permitted without the prior determination of the costs. The reason for this is to guarantee the completion of the investment, as well as the assurance of transparency and avoidance of misconduct. In this study, the cost calculation methods and cost estimation methods used in the Ottoman era will be presented and a comparison of these methods with those of the methods used to day will be made.