A Brief Overview of the Studies on Fungal Deterioration of Monuments in Turkey

Abstract

Cultural heritages are at risk of biodeterioration caused by diverse populations of microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, algae, lichens and cyanobacteria. For example, stone monuments may be discolored and degraded by growth and activity of microorganisms. Especially fungal communities cause aesthetic and structural damage. The fungal deterioration of stone monuments in many countries has become a serious threat for their existence. A brief overview of work on fungal deteriorations on stone monuments in Turkey, including recent studies resulting from molecular biology, is presented and fungal species causing degradation are discussed.