Defining Behavioral Pattern for Historical Buildings in Izmir, Turkey

Abstract

Izmir is one of the major western Anatolian cities in Turkey. Due to its prime location and its port, Izmir has become one of the busiest trade centers since the Ottoman Era. Additionally, its unique urban features have led the way for the city to host some of the most important civilizations throughout history. There are many important historical buildings sustained damages due to experienced earthquakes over the years. Currently, the historical buildings are under threat due to the high seismicity of the region. The frequency of earthquakes and the poor seismic performance of historic buildings in the past necessitate the seismic risk assessment of this historical buildings. Such assessment is also a necessity for the proper restoration and renovation of historic buildings in the city. This research provides an investigation of the historical building profile located in the historical Kemeralti district of Izmir, Turkey. Historical mosques have been investigated in site investigations via Rapid Visual Inspection Method. Base Scores and Critical-Benchmark Scores were determined based on-site investigations. Final score has been found out by using these two achieved scores. The scores were given in tables within a correlation of each other in the study. Based on site investigation, a behavioral pattern is defined for historical buildings in Izmir, Turkey.