Determining the Problems and Functional Needs of the Inns Area in Gaziantep Historical City Center

Abstract

Gaziantep is a city with many civilizations and cultural architectural heritage from past to present. There are historical buildings and inns area along the axis, which is declared as a cultural route, starting from the vicinity of the castle in the city centre of Gaziantep. Historical inns, which were used for accommodation and trade in the past, have lost their function over time. These inns, which cannot be used in today's conditions, were left to disappear as idle areas as the city centre lost its charm. In this study, it is aimed to identify the problems experienced in the district of inns and determine their missing functions and needs. In addition, it is desired to emphasize that the user types who use the region differ in their interpretations of the region. In line with the identified problems, suggestions were made for the revitalization of the region and the refunctioning of the inns. In order to achieve these goals, questionnaires were created in line with the interviews with the temporary and stationary users in the region and the literature review. As the scope of the study, the inns area on the Gaziantep cultural road has been examined. The questionnaires were applied to the participants in this area, by face to face interview method and the answers of the participants were noted on site. The obtained data were statistically analyzed. As a result of the research, it was concluded that the historical value of the region should be understood by the users, and in this context, the inns and other historical structures in the region should be regularly repaired and the idle areas should be re-functioned. It is thought that the revitalization of historically important buildings and the region and their sustainability are possible by determining the existing problems.