Conservation of the Historical Town of Izmit Through the Restoration of Pertev Mehmet Pasha Mosque

Abstract

The conservation of Pertev Pasha Mosque should not be considered as a mere practice of static or architectural restoration but as an integrated project to implement all those principles adopted by the “Conservation of Historic Towns Chart” (ICOMOS, 1986-87).Promotion of the urban fabric therefore, represents the necessary correlation of conservation such as the research into appropriate functions expressing social needs and an active involvement of the factors necessary for its protection. This active involvement must be necessarily confronted with the peculiarity of the mosque, fostering its knowledge, the compatible proposal of use and a plan of intervention.On the basis of the requirements above mentioned, the study is, in principle, developed through the acquisition and re-elaboration of the data referring to a macro area, i.e. Turkey considered as a nation. Passing through the analysis of the province and the city of Izmit, a micro-area that will be the focus of the analysis, has been identified.The project provides integrations suitable to increase the background value, further emphasizing the whole Pertev Pasha complex, respecting the needs of territorial enhancement as well as those of the local community and those related to the cultural heritage and recovery.The proposed actions will be divided into the following areas:• urban• functional• punctualThe aim of the study is to suggest a model to conservative restoration that, although limited to a small part of the city, may in some way act as an incubator allowing Izmit, which today is a high-density city divided into two parts by the highway and separated from Its splendid coast, to return in the future, some of the balance and splendor that made it famous when it was called Nicomedia