Reading Administration Periods in Built Environment through the City of Lefke-Cyprus

Abstract

PurposeThe urban settlement, space and architecture, which can transformation with the cultural politics and sanctions of the administration, are the most significant indicators of local culture and its continuity. With this approach, in this article, it is aimed to determine the effects of administrative periods on the built environment and so, to document the immovable cultural heritage. Design/Methodology/ApproachThe residential environment is the cultural values that carry the architectural codes of the local culture from the past to the present. In the formation of these values, cultural ve spatial policies of the administration together with universal developments such as architectural style, construction technologies and so on as well as geographical location, climate and lifestyle are determinant. In this spiral relationship, while the residential environment of the city of Lefke was examined by focusing on the city's own administration periods, cultural heritage values were questioned and documented. The basis of this approach is to define these values, the first stage of the heritage management system envisaged by the World Heritage Committee, with a "values-led approach" and thus obtain the statement of significance, that is, clues for management strategies. FindingsThe traditional and/or historical housing and its pattern have been included in three frameworks, "typological, chronological-regional, and thematic" determined for cultural heritage in 2000s. In all of these frameworks, the effects of time / space and the administration periods on social and spatial structure are emphasized. In this study, it is documented that the residential environment was shaped according to the administration periods and that its traditional housing and its pattern and some modernist buildings which convey the art deco architectural style are cultural heritage within these frames in the city of Lefke.Research Limitations The issues such as the sustainability or management process of cultural heritage values are externalities of this study.Social/Practical Implications This study should be helpful in defining the immovable cultural heritage according to current international policies, approaches and principles. Originality/ValueThe residential environment and traditional housing in the city of Lefke are described for the first time with this study.