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THE KERKENES ECO-CENTER In
1993 the Kerkenes Project was inaugurated to study the Iron Age
capital that had once stood on the Kerkenes Dağ which overshadows
the Village of Sahmuratlı. From the outset the Project Directors
were conscious that this international research project would have
a positive impact on the village and the local area, and that it
also had potential at regional and inter-regional level. A central
concern was, and continues to be, that any impact, social, cultural
and economic, should be for the benefit of the village and the region
while also ensuring that the Cultural Heritage of the ancient city
was not only preserved but also presented in meaningful ways to
contemporary and future generations. Rising awareness of the importance
of Kerkenes as a Cultural heritage resource is reflected in the
growing number of tourists visit the site.
The Kerkenes Eco-Center Project was initiated in 2002 through the Australian Embassy Direct Aid Program. By 2003 it had grown into the concept of an Eco-Center devoted to research into and promotion of sustainable village life. The aim is to halt, and even reverse, migration from rural areas to urban centres. Advocating an environmentally friendly approach to the development and improvement of rural settlements, the project works closely with the Şahmuratlı Village and Kerkenes Association for Public Relations, Prosperity, Help and Support established to promote the welfare of the village (Fig. 21a). Official recognition of the Village Association was another significant milestone opening up more avenues for the implementation of future programmes. In 2004 the Kerkenes Eco-Center made another step forward with the construction of a strawbale house (Fig. 22) and small greenhouse (Fig. 21b) generously funded by the Canada Fund of the Canadian Embassy. Şahmuratlı villagers, METU students and participants from other parts of Turkey as well as distant places abroad, worked together sharing knowledge and experiences. Bora Topluoğlu, expert in strawbale construction who lives in Australia but regularly visits his native Turkey, supervised the strawbale building program. When the Governor of Yozgat visited together with a large entourage (Fig. 21c), Bora seized the opportunity to explain how rural Turkey could benefit from the use of such building techniques, especially in earthquake zones. Other ongoing programs include solid waste separation for composting and recycling, simple drip irrigation for organic gardens (Fig. 21d) and reuse of grey-water. The British Council supports studies on the environmental performance of buildings under the Britain-Turkey Partnerships Programme between the METU Department of Architecture and the Environment and Energy Studies Programme of the Architectural Association, London. A Parry Brick Press (Fig. 21e) was donated by the Burdens Charitable Foundation. The project received funding from MESA, AKG and Mr Erdoğan Akdağ and help in kind from the Yozgat Governorate, Rural Services and Sorgun Belediye. Future plans include a pilot project to promote the use of renewable energy and new building with a large hall to host village activities, visitors and permanent displays on the archaeological and ecological activities of the Kerkenes Project. |