Figure 9 b. View from the rock-carved space looking over the plain
Related Figures (36)
Figure 1: Location of the village of Germus (Prepared by using Google Earth) The aim of this study is to document the architectural heritage and conservation problems and to develop preservation proposals for the sustainability of the heritage of the village of Germus which has not been adequately documented and preserved and is rapidly deteriorating. Preservation and Sustainability of Traditional Rural Areas Which Were Ethnically Diverse... 11 Figure 3: View of the village of Germus from the south (Anonymous-a, 2020) Figure 5: A house and Armenian graves in its courtyard in Germus. 1909 (Kirkctoglu, 2011, p.535) Figure 4: The village of Germus in the 19th century- Women and children reading Bible (Anonymous-b, 2020) Figure 4: The village of Germus in the 19th century- Women and children reading Bible (Anonymous-b, 2020) Figure 6: Uceymi Sadun Pasha (Archive of Isa Siimer) Figure 7: The traditional fabric of the village of Germus (Google Earth has been used as a background) which is in a location dominating the village, was a residential area in the past (Figure 7). Although some traces of the buildings are visible today, the remains are mostly under earth (Figure 8a). a. The church is in the north of the village with hills behind it The village, with hills behind (Figure 8a) and a wide plain in front of it (Figure 8b), was founded on the southern skirt of the Germus Mountains, close to the streams coming from the mountain. In the mountains behind the village there are rock-cut monasteries and hermitages dedicated to Surp Tateos, Surp Garabed, Surp Hovhannes, and Surp Hagop, which are now in ruins. It is still possible today to see the remains of rock-cut monasteries in the area known as Surp Hovhannes Mountain (Figure 9). b. View of the village from the south Figure 8: The village of Germus and its surroundings (Cift¢i, 2020) The water of the village was supplied from the springs and was distributed through water channels passing through the streets and houses. Even though some of them are covered today, it is possible to see these water channels that pass through the gardens of some houses and some streets (Figure 10). Preservation and Sustainability of Traditional Rural Areas Which Were Ethnically Diverse... 12 While the buildings in the rural settlements around Sanliurfa are generally made of mud brick, in the village of Germus, local limestone, which is soft and easy to carve, is used. These stones have probably been extracted from the quarries located in the north of the village (Figure 11). Thanks to the use of stone, many buildings have survived in the village today. The church and the houses are the main structures that have survived to the present day. Figure 11: Quarries located to the north of the village (Ciftci, 2020) Figure 12: Photograph of Germus Village taken by Cihat Kirkctioglu in 1979 (Kirkctioglu, 2011 The most outstanding structure in the village is the church. Like the Armenian Church in the city centre of Urfa, this church is also dedicated to Surp Asdvadzadzin. The construction date of the church is not known for certain. About the church, the following information is recorded in the website of the Houshamadyan Association: “...there are records that the church was attacked, looted and set on fire in 1631. However, the Germus Armenians renewed the church in the same year. In the 19th century, during the reign of Archbishop Khoren Mekhitaryan (1823-1903), the old church was demolished and in 1881, a new church was built by the architect Hagop Ardzivian on the ruins of the old church" (Figure 12). Figure 13: Ground floor plan of the church of Surp Asdvadzadzin in Germus (Kirmizi, 2018, p.19) The Church of Germus, which has a rectangular plan, is a three-aisled basilica extending in the east-west direction (Figure 13). The church is 28.85 meters in the east-west direction from the outside and 18.45 meters in the north-south direction (Kirmizi, 2019, pp. 19-21). On the ground floor of the building, all the main parts of the church, i.e. the narthex, naos, bema, apse, prosthesis and diaconicon, have survived (Figure 13). The west facade, where the original entrance door of the church was located, is the richest facade in terms of architectural openings (such as windows and arches) and decoration (Figure 14a). Figure 14: Facades of the Church (Ciftci, 2020) b. Earthen roof of the church The church, which is the most important structure of the village, was registered and taken under protection in 2002. Because of not being used for a long time, the interventions incompatible with the original structure and the neglect, the church has been severely damaged. In addition, the excavations conducted in the past for treasure hunting and the lighting of fire in the interior of the building resulted with extensive destruction (Figure 15d). Preservation and Sustainability of Traditional Rural Areas Which Were Ethnically Diverse... 12: There are fifteen houses in the village of Germus which, although partially, preserve their traditional characteristics (Figure 7). From the inscriptions and the dates inscribed on the vaults, it is understood that these houses were built in the 19th or early 20th centuries (Figure 17). Siimeyra Ciftgi — Neslihan Dalkili¢g Figure 18: The plan of a Germus house with a courtyard (Cift¢i, 2021) Figure 19: Houses with courtyards and their vaulted entrances (Ciftci, 2020) b. Northeastern facade a. Southeastern facade Preservation and Sustainability of Traditional Rural Areas Which Were Ethnically Diverse... 12 The organization of the interior and exterior facades of the houses are different. On the considerably plain street facades, the only openings on the ground floor are the arched entrance doors of the houses and the small windows above the doors (Figure 23). The courtyard walls are high enough to prevent the inside of the house to be seen from the street (Figure 23). In contrast to the simplicity of the exterior facades, courtyard fagades are more dynamic in terms of form and decoration. High-relief plant motifs, cornices, rosettes and ventilation windows on the doors and windows are the architectural elements that enrich the facades (Figures 24, 25). Figure 24: Courtyard facades (Kiirkciioglu, from 1990s) Preservation and Sustainability of Traditional Rural Areas Which Were Ethnically Diverse... 12 In these houses, which are built by the masonry technique, the openings are spanned by either flat wooden beams or curvilinear vaults. The cellars and barns in the basement are covered with barrel or cross vaults (Figure 26). In other locations, the upper structure is flat with timber beams (Figure 27). Roof cover is always of earth (Figure 28). The original pavement of the courtyard is either natural stone or earth. Figure 26: Vaulted spaces (Ciftci, 2020) Figure 27: Ceilings with timber beams (Cift¢i, 2020) Preservation and Sustainability of Traditional Rural Areas Which Were Ethnically Diverse... 13 Wrong interventions and repairs destroyed the authenticity of the houses. The later additions to the houses, resulting from the changing living conditions and needs, are built of briquette and reinforced concrete and are incompatible with the original fabric (Figure 30). Over time, the emptying of the joints between the stones and the loss of binding properties of the mortar material on the walls, natural factors and the lack of regular maintenance and repair caused surface deterioration and structural problems (Figures 31-34). Due to the neglect of the earthen roofed houses, destruction due to vegetation has occurred. Figure 30: The briquette additions destroying the original fabric (Ciftgi, 2020) Figure 31: A house which has not survived today (Archive of SKVKK) a. Entrance door (Kiirkciioglu, 2014) b. Same house after partially destroyed (Ciftgi, 2020) Preservation and Sustainability of Traditional Rural Areas Which Were Ethnically Diverse... 13 Figure 34: Traditional houses which are partially destroyed or are in ruins (Cift¢i, 2020)
