A Review of “Kiliseye Çevrilen Türk Eserleri: The Turkish Monuments Converted into Churches” by Mehmet Emin Yılmaz

Abstract

Covering vast areas, the Ottoman Empire left important imprints on the territories that had been ruling for centuries. These imprints may be best followed through the architectural pieces that have served for centuries for religious, social, cultural, or educational purposes. Some of those monuments are still surviving, but the majority of them were destroyed after the Ottoman rule ended and new authorities emerged. Also, some of this bulk has been converted into buildings that are more compatible with the needs of the newly ruling society. The master architect Yılmaz authored a very interesting and comprehensive book on Turkish architectural pieces that have been converted into churches in 19 countries: Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Algeria, Armenia, Southern Cyprus, Georgia, Croatia, Montenegro, Crimea, Kosovo, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Greece. Apart from listing the re-shaped monuments, Yılmaz accomplished to visit them all and took photos to contribute to detailed literature and archival research. He also conducted a deep analysis of changes, transformations, and repair operations to shed light on the perceptions of restoration by country. He also compared these perceptions according to the principles of architectural restoration.