With Its Armenian and Greek Cultural Heritage

This book traces the buildings that have been left behind by the Armenian and Greek communities of Kayseri through statistical information and visual sources, and, as such, presents a glimpse into the region’s sociocultural past. The ‘photograph’ of this cultural heritage as it exists in 2015 attests to how Kayseri that is known today is a product of historical complexity, and cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity. At the end of the 19th century, non-Muslims constituted one-third of the population of the Kayseri Province, and a significant number of their buildings have unexpectedly withstood to this day despite the destruction that they were exposed to. However, these buildings are deteriorating at an alarming pace. The cultural heritage of the peoples who have been forcefully expelled from their homelands should not be neglected, but should instead be protected like other cultural heritage and provided with the conditions necessary for its survival. These are crucially important for the processes of facing the past. This work was prepared with the hope that it may contribute to efforts in this direction.