Kars, Turkey
Ottoman Heritage in Eastern Turkey
The renovated Namik Kemal Community Center.
The Kars Master Conservation Plan initiated and funded by GHF, the region’s first Master Conservation Plan for Historic Preservation. It was developed in partnership with the Kars Municipality and Anadolu Kültür, a regional NGO supporting cultural programs and artistic production across Anatolia. Both the Erzurum Conservation Board and Kars Municipality have now approved this plan, and the entire Kars Heritage District is now a formally registered Class A Archaeological Area by the National Government of the Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Based on GHF MCP Guidelines, this master plan sets a new model for cultural heritage protection and planning for Turkey.
The GHF Kars Master Conservation Plan has begun to transform the perception and image of Historic Kars in the municipality, the Town Council and the communities. What was once the former abandoned backyard of Kars is now transformed into the central showcase for economic and cultural revitalization and tourism development.
