From Stones to Memory: In Pursuit of Historical Continuity Through the Urban Fabric of Burdur

With the participation of our Faculty's History Department 1st-year students, a comprehensive Burdur city tour was conducted on 22.12.2025 under the academic coordination of Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Şükrü ÜNAR. This event was planned within the scope of the courses "Introduction to Archaeology" and "Ancient History and Civilizations," aiming to reinforce students' theoretical knowledge through on-site observation.

The tour program started at Burdur Cumhuriyet Meydanı, one of the important focal points of the city's public memory. Here, information was provided about the city's modernization process and the historical transformation of the public space. Then, the reliefs depicting different periods of Turkish history, belonging to İlçin Çetiner and located next to the Governor's building, were examined; the historical continuity from Central Asia to the Ottoman Empire was evaluated through iconographic elements.

The Burdur Rum Church, visited within the scope of the tour, was considered an important architectural heritage reflecting the city's multicultural past. The social and religious life of non-Muslim communities in Burdur during the Ottoman period was discussed through the structure. Then, Burdur Ulu Camii and Burdur Saat Kulesi were visited, focusing on the reflections of Seljuk and Ottoman architectural traditions in the city's fabric.

In the continuation of the program, Baki Bey Mansion and Mehmet Akif Ersoy Culture House (Çelikbaşlar Mansion) were toured; information was shared about Burdur's civil architecture, daily life practices, and the cultural atmosphere during the National Struggle period. Finally, Burdur City Memory Museum was visited, and a holistic evaluation was made through materials related to the city's archaeological, ethnographic, and recent history.

Thanks to this technical tour, students had the opportunity to recognize the historical layers of Burdur on-site and develop an awareness of city history; the theoretical knowledge acquired in the courses was associated with tangible cultural heritage elements.