Mythos of Urban Heritage Regeneration and its Aftermath in Turkey

Amid the backdrop of the Cold War, there was a growing acknowledgement of the importance of tourism as a pivotal growth sector, especially in nations that boasted abundant natural and cultural treasures. In Turkey, such a development vision resulted from the close alliance with the United States. Antalya, a venerable coastal town in Turkey’s southern region, is a prime example of this phenomenon. As an outcome of the national and international political circumstances, one of the main development strategies employed for economic development was establishing and reinforcing the tourism sector. Nonetheless, implementing urban heritage protection efforts encountered opposition, primarily due to their ramifications on residents and living standards within the designated zones. The conservation plan’s restrictions on construction activities sparked discontent among residents whose life quality suffered. This dissatisfaction was not exclusive to Antalya; similar issues emerged in other conservation sites across Turkey during the 1970s. These instances underscored a stark disjunction between the conservation plans developed for the tangible features of historic urban areas and the lived realities of the host communities.