Two Ottoman Fortresses on the Dardanelles: Seddulbahir & Kumkale

Cultural heritage, particularly of architectural structures and their surrounding environs, is among the most important evidence we have to understand a society’s past. When documenting this past, each material object takes on an increased significance, as it is through this object, placed at the center of inquiry, that we can better understand its historical value. Unfortunately, as a result of both natural and human interventions, important elements of historical structures are deteriorating rapidly. Hence some precautionary measures are needed to protect historical sites and structures from an array of deleterious conditions. In this study, a historical documentation project on two Ottoman fortresses is briefly discussed. These fortresses, namely the Seddulbahir and Kumkale, located in Turkey, at the Aegean entrance to the Dardanelles, are examples of valuable cultural heritage sites, which have only recently been the subject of intensive historical, and geodesy study and documentation. The two fortresses were built in the mid seventeenth century (1656-1659) by Turhan Sultan, the mother of the Ottoman sultan, Mehmed IV. Since the beginning of the project in 1997, various works have been done. These works include geodetic measurements, archaeological investigations, architectural measurements, historical studies, multimedia and GI