IN-PERSON ISTANBUL HERITAGE(S)

Abstract

Kastamonu city centre has layers that reveal all stages of its settlement history, with potential for its immovable cultural heritage. The earliest phase comprises the archaeological areas, dating from the 6th century BC to the end of the Eastern Roman Period. These areas are organically connected to later layers that followed them and shaped Kastamonu’s present. This situation is advantageous for the visibility and perception of the city’s layers, but it also creates problems for the visibility and awareness of archaeological sites. The archaeological areas in the city centre of Kastamonu include the Archaeological Site, centred on the castle and its monumental structures and defence systems; a rock necropolis to the south, with monumental and smaller, decorated and undecorated rock tombs along its northern border; and rock facades. Spanning approximately 1600 years, from the Late Iron Age through the Hellenistic, Roman, and Late Byzantine periods, these areas provide significant historical, religious, artistic, and cultural data for each era. This study conducted a multi-criteria landscape analysis to increase the visibility of archaeological sites that are significant for both the Kastamonu urban landscape and the ancient period of the Western Black Sea Region in Türkiye. In this analysis, topography, climate, land cover/land use classes, and user expectations were used as indicators, recognising that Kastamonu is a valley settlement with the Karaçomak stream flowing through its centre. The landscape analysis yielded important findings on how to increase the visibility of archaeological areas with significant cultural heritage value within the urban landscape.