Damage Assessment of Livas and Kastels in Gaziantep, Turkey

Abstract

Gaziantep, a city on southeast Turkey, has no natural water source as lake. The water requirement of the city was met by transferring water from water source by carving water tunnels called “Livas” in history. Limestone and chalk formation of the city made it possible to carve this historic underground water way system. The water through Livas system was carried to the wells and pools in the houses and fountains and Kastels. Kastels were underground, rock cut and stone masonry public places where water came to the pools and dispersed to the bath and toilets of the system. For the people of Gaziantep, Kastels were social and cultural living space used for hundreds of years especially during hot summer days. Such system was unique to Gaziantep. Today, due to the city water and technological air conditioning system, these historic places are neglected and most of the Livas system is broken receiving sewage of the nearby houses. Out of known thirteen kastels in Gaziantep, seven of them have disappeared and only six of them have reached today. Also two of the six is about to disappear for various damages caused by nature and human. The aim of this study is to document Livas and Kastels and make damage assessment of existing Kastels to contribute to their problem of disappearance and preservation. And, deteriorations caused by nature and human in Kastels will be searched.