Abstract:

Historical structures that reflect the culture of society and best express the values it possesses are one of the important treasures of the years in which it belongs. Many of the historical structures that have been exposed to different external effects since their construction are of great importance that they can be transported to future generations in a healthy way. In the preservation of their sustainability, improvements are made with different interventions so that the current state of the structure can come to a state that can meet the needs of the user. One of these improvements is the re-functioning is a common practice that is preferred for the protection of structures that lose their function depending on developing conditions and changing conditions over time. The concept of "reactivation" which includes physical, spatial and meaningful transformations is a process that defines a new area of use beyond its original function to the structure that has lost its old function. In this study, the process of re-functioning of Cacabey Medresesi, which is considered to be the first rasathan of Anadolu and became a symbol for the province of Kırşehir, has been discussed. It has been given information about the history of the building, referred to the architectural and structural elements, the functions it gained in time and the repairs it spent. This building, which meets a significant need of the time it was built and built for educational purposes, has lost its original function over time and has now begun to be used as a mosque. As a result of the acquisition of the Cami function, the structure has experienced compulsory architectural changes to the need, with these changes the structure has been reopened for use. The missing medrese function and the re-defined mosque function process of the architectural and structural elements that the structure gained or lost, the plan and the cuts were studied on the basis. The conformity of the new function defined to the old identity of the structure, the original architecture and the area in which it is located; has been assessed from a socio-cultural, economic and physical point of view. As a result, it has been decided that the restructuring of the structure can be preserved for many years as well as the restoration work has an important impact and that the defined mosque function is the most compatible function with the structure. With the new function, Cacabey Cami is a treasure that will be proud in the city of Kırşehir because it contributes to cultural tourism, socially adapts to people and the environment, contains physically recoverable interventions and preserves the readability of its original state.

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