The timetable has been revised due to the need for sensitive engineering works and project revisions following archaeological discoveries. (AA Photo)
Phase one of the restoration and reinforcement at Istanbul’s historic Haydarpaşa Train Station is set to finish in 2027, following extensive ground stabilization and recent archaeological discoveries.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said the timetable had been revised due to the need for sensitive engineering works and project revisions following archaeological discoveries at the site.
Ersoy said historical research into the station’s original plans showed that about 1,000 wooden piles, measuring between eight and 21 meters in length, had been placed beneath the building during its original construction.
Georadar surveys found only about 200 of the piles still in place, indicating that around 80 percent had disappeared over time, according to technical assessments by the ministry.
The surveys also identified a risk of soil liquefaction beneath and around the historic building. Tests found the ground consisted of heterogeneous fill and loose, water-saturated sand, creating a risk of settlement and lateral movement in the event of liquefaction.
“To protect the historic building against these risks, we carried out bored piling around the structure and ground-strengthening grouting in line with a project prepared by expert engineers, reviewed by academic teams and approved by our Advisory Board,” Ersoy said.
He added that the building’s structural behavior had been continuously monitored with technical equipment throughout the reinforcement works, which were carried out gradually and under controlled conditions.
New archaeological remains were also uncovered during work on infrastructure, drainage and visitor routes in the Haydarpaşa Archaeopark. The relevant projects were revised to protect both existing and newly discovered remains, further affecting the timetable.
The project is being carried out under a protocol signed between the Culture and Tourism Ministry and Turkish State Railways (TCDD) on Aug. 15, 2024.
Once completed, the Haydarpaşa site is planned to include the first archaeology museum on Istanbul’s Asian side, a performing arts center, library, exhibition halls and art and design workshops. The project also includes an Archaeopark, open-air event spaces and landscaping, with the aim of bringing the historic site into Istanbul’s cultural life.
