Digital database preserves centuries-old mansions

NEVŞEHİR

The inventory includes stone mansions, churches, mosques, madrasas and fountains. (AA Photo)

Centuries-old stone mansions and historic buildings in Mustafapaşa, a town in the central province of Nevşehir’s Ürgüp district, are being preserved for future generations through a digital database documenting the area’s cultural heritage.

The project, led by Cappadocia University, aims to make Mustafapaşa an open-air museum through QR codes installed at 55 locations, providing visitors with information about historic buildings and supporting the accurate restoration of the structures in the future.

Mustafapaşa, named one of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s “Best Tourism Villages” in 2021, is installing signs featuring QR codes at the entrances of historic buildings to help visitors discover the town’s cultural heritage.

Visitors can scan the codes to access a website available in Turkish and English, offering information about the history and architectural features of each building.

Şükran Ünser, head of the Cappadocia Cultural Studies Center at Cappadocia University, told Anadolu Agency that research into Mustafapaşa’s historic buildings intensified in 2020, leading to the creation of a digital database.

The inventory, developed to support tourism, includes not only stone mansions but also churches, mosques, madrasas and fountains. The work is ongoing, she said.

Emphasizing Mustafapaşa’s importance for its civil architectural heritage, Ünser said the town was particularly valuable because it had preserved so many historic residential buildings.

“Historic buildings have always been valuable, but religious structures are often treated with greater respect and better protected because of their sacred character. The mansions and other residential buildings in Mustafapaşa, however, hold a particularly important place,” she said.

“Because they are intertwined with everyday life, they change as daily life changes and evolves, and unfortunately, many do not survive. We do not see this happening in Mustafapaşa.”

The buildings were catalogued not merely as an inventory but also in a way that would serve tourism and help visitors identify and explore sites worth seeing, she added, describing the database as a documentary heritage archive.

‘I compare Mustafapaşa’s mansions to portraits’

Ünser said the database would also prove valuable when restoration projects are undertaken, allowing architects to consult historical photographs and restore buildings accordingly.

“I compare Mustafapaşa’s mansions to portraits. Each has its own distinctive character, shaped by the possibilities offered by nature and adapted to the topography. They form portraits that are remarkably respectful of and harmonious with their natural surroundings,” she said.

She also highlighted photographs and notes kept by Serafim Rizos, who moved to Greece during the population exchange between Türkiye and Greece, as valuable sources for documenting the town’s historic buildings. The research team is working to bring these records together, she said.

The center also organizes activities to raise local residents’ awareness of the town’s cultural heritage. Following Mustafapaşa’s selection as one of the world’s best tourism villages, the team launched an awareness campaign and established a platform, while continuing educational seminars for different audiences.

The digital project has long been a goal for the team, Ünser said, noting that QR codes at 55 locations now allow visitors to access the website and explore the town’s heritage.

“We wanted Mustafapaşa to become a small open-air museum,” she said.

Mustafapaşa Mayor Mustafa Özer said the town has approximately 400 stone mansions, 140 of which are officially registered as historic buildings. The area also offers several tourist attractions, including Manastır Valley, a popular destination for visitors.

Fifty-five of the town’s historic mansions currently offer accommodation to tourists, Özer said.

“Although some mansions have been restored and converted into hotels, many are still homes where local people live. Together, we will pass these buildings on to future generations,” he said.

He added that bringing neglected and dilapidated buildings back into use as hotels, restaurants or residences was a source of satisfaction.

Comparing historic photographs with the buildings’ present-day condition has strengthened the town’s architectural inventory, Özer said, adding that the municipality aims to preserve Mustafapaşa’s heritage through cooperation with the university, nongovernmental organizations and investors.