Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf Student Workshop, 5-12 October 2010
Prepared by:
University College London Development Planning Unit Cassidy Johnson Nick Wolff Krista Canellakis Benjamin Leclair Paquet Katarina Soltesova
University of Stuttgart Institute of International Urbanism Anette Gangler Nora Beste Raphael Dietz Cebrayel Cevrim Han Yeol Baek Max Gangler Ya ar Adanali
Do a Derne i Derya Engin Muhyettin Talayhan
Ay e Adanali Table of Contents
•! Objectives •! Working Approach and Methodology •! Challenges and Opportunities •! Findings and Analysis –! Stakeholder Diagram –! Land Use Plan –! Guiding Principles •! Action Projects –! A1 Tourist Circuits –! A2 Tourism Facilities –! A3 Riverside Improvement –! A4 Visitor Resource Centre –! A5 Participatory Economic Growth –! A6 Women’s Community Centre –! A7 Football Pitch & Club •! Annex
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf Objectives of the Workshop
•! Build on the findings from the Search Conference for Hasankeyf, held in April 2010 with Do!a Derne!i and the Municipality of Hasankeyf
•! Planning exercise for developing ideas to support a future vision for Hasankeyf
•! Definition of action projects to improve the current living conditions of men, women and children and promote tourism development
•! Develop international linkages to raise awareness and muster support for Hasankeyf and find avenues for longer term cooperation
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf Working Approach and Methodology
Tuesday 05.10. Arrival Visit on site Wednesday 06.10. Meeting with the Governor (Cevat Uyanik) Visit Citadel Thursday 07.10. Working groups + surveys Visit Ilisu Dam Friday 08.10. Meeting with the mayor (Vahap Kusen) Working groups + surveys Saturday 10.10. Working groups + surveys
Sunday 11.10. Surveys: surrounding landscape new site of Hasankeyf (Subcontracter Biroglu Insaat) Working groups + surveys Monday 12.10. Working groups Preparation Presentation
Tuesday 13.10. Presentation
Wednesday 14.10. Departure
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf Acknowledgments
Hasankeyf is a special place in all of our hearts.
Thank you to all of the people of Hasankeyf who opened their businesses and homes to us during the workshop. Thank you to Mayor of Hasankeyf, Mr. Vahap Kusen, Governor of Hasankeyf, Mr. Cevat Uyanik, and Rector of Batman University, Prof. Dr. Abdüsselam Ulucam, who took the time to meet with all of us. Thank you to the staff of Do a Derne i for their support of this project.
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf Challenges
1.! Dam project has been a pervasive threat in Hasankeyf for 50 years and has restricted investment in development.
2.! The landslide in June 2010 on the citadel site has meant that the site is now closed to tourists and locals, creating a dramatic reduction in visitors to Hasankeyf. When the site will be open is uncertain.
3.! The reliance on the site for tourism has made local businesses vulnerable to shocks. The slowdown in tourism has had widespread impact on livelihoods with ongoing implications for local economic survival.
4.! The new Hasankeyf is currently being constructed, creating a reality of a “parallel city”. The immediate improvement of the old Hasankeyf is critical so that the old city can co- exist and thrive in this context.
5.! Awareness of the importance of safeguarding the environment and local ecology is low.
6.! While informal connections are present, there is limited mobilised organisation in Hasankeyf.
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf Opportunities
1.! Even though the gate is closed people are still visiting Hasankeyf and finding a way to see the area. This has increased interest in seeing the town and areas outside of the citadel.
2.! The fact that building is not allowed due to heritage status doesn’t stop informal building and people’s entrepreneurial spirit.
3.! Hasankeyf takes advantage of its proximity to the river to support subsistence farming and husbandry, which alleviates the immediate impact of poverty. Management of garden plots and irrigation systems has been followed for hundreds of years.
4.! Self-help and incremental housing development is possible in the current town and fits the needs of growing families.
5.! Despite substantial setbacks, there is still an underlying willingness to resist the dam project and resourcefulness which strengthens people’s resilience.
6.! Hasankeyf has potential to become a regional hub for tourism if investment continues.
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf Worl dba TOK! nk / Ministry ECA of Prime Ministry EU Enviornm ent and Forestry International DSI Ministry ICOMOS of The Digging Organisations UNESCO Culture Authority WHC and Int. Tourism Regional NGOs Conservation Governor Board UNESCO Union of District Local Authorities Regional Governor Development Agency Hasankeyf Batman Academic Municipality Municip ality Other MSGSÜ Uni. State Civil Uni. of Press Stuttgart Society ODTÜ UCL Hasankeyf Initiative People Developers Rep. Of of TU - WIEN political Hasankeyf Tourism parties
Do"a Derne"i Banks NGOs Private Stakeholder Diagram Sector Celeb rities
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf Analysis of Existing Situation
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf Business Land Use
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf Guiding Principles of the Action Projects
1.! The future of Hasankeyf is here on the current town site. There is a collective refusal of the Ilisu dam project and relocation of the town.
2.! Hasankeyf is a living-heritage town. A site where both the tangible (monuments, buildings and environment) and intangible heritage (culture and well-being of people) are important and fully realized.
3.! Building local capacities and stimulating local entrepreneurialism of Hasankeyf residents
4.! Development addresses personal, family and livelihood aspirations, recognising the unique needs of men, women and children in the community.
5.! Transparency of development processes and sharing of information is necessary to develop trust and collective capacity for action.
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf
MATRIX FROM BEN
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A1 Tourist Circuits Action Projects A2 Tourism Facilities A3 Riverside Improvement A4 Visitor Resource Centre A5 Participatory Economic Growth A6 Women’s Community Centre A7 Football Pitch & Club
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A1: Tourist Circuits
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A1: Tourist Circuits, cont.
Old Village in Hasankeyf There are so many attractive and enjoyable places in this old village but they haven‘t been discovered yet. Therefore we‘re planning to make tourists stay and look around there.
Void and solid plan that shows spatial sequence of old village in Hasankeyf
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A1: Tourist Circuits, cont.
Concept – staying in Hasankeyf
Potential •! nature and manmade environments •! dynamic spaces in the old village •! special buildings (heritage, minaret, mosque, church, etc.)
Square, meeting points Viewpoint Attractive Streets Special buildings Potential buildings Existing building that has a potential. eg. Hostel
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A1: Tourist Circuits, cont.
5 Panorama view from point #2
Proposal 1 - Route for tourists
4 1.! Entrance to the old village 2.! Meeting point with view to Tigris, palace, valley, minaret etc. 3.! Square (meeting point, information) 6 4.! Square on top of the rocks (panorama view, hostel + sleep in caves, oven, open air cafe, culture 2 7 experiences etc.) 3 5.! View point, connection to other tour routes 6.! Mosque, ruins, view to the top 8 7.! Square 8.! Place for backpackers
1
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A1: Tourist Circuits, cont.
Proposal 2 – Cave Hostel •! Reuse of existing buildings •! Accomodation in caves •! Square maintenance •! Open air cafe (served by the residence) •! Culture (handmade souvenir etc.) •! Cafe on Rocks •! Reconstruction of ruins (for hotel about after 50 years)
Proposal 3 – Bed and Breakfast •! Reuse of existing empty houses •! Trial hostel managed by Do!a •! Bed and breakfast •! Repair and maintenance of street •! Terasse cafe on the roof
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf Action Project 2.1 – Cave Hostel
Idea: Old house on the upper side of the old city can be used as a place for people who want to stay over night in Hasankeyf enjoying the nature and prefer more privacy
•! atrium is meeting point •! women can help to run the hotel by preparing food, etc. to earn some money •! ruin with beautiful viewing point over Hasankeyf •! public space with cafe on the right side as a break point on one of the tourist circuit
Project could be built in two steps:
First step:
•! the existing building is used as hostel with simple dormitories •! guests can stay in tents on the ruin area on the left side enjoying a beautiful view •! also the caves in the near can be used for spending some nights to enjoy the special atmosphere of Hasankeyf •! both are connected to the main building with kitchen, bathroom etc.
Second step:
•! ruin area can be built with new buildings •! hostel can expand as hotel for tourists who wish better quality
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf Action Project 2.1 – Cave Hostel
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf Idea: Cheap opportunity for people Action Project 2.2 – Bed & Breakfast staying in Hasankeyf for some nights who want to enjoy the lively atmosphere of the old city between the narrow streets on the upper side of the town
•! many empty houses in old city can be connected to one project •! women can help to run the hotel by preparing food etc. to earn some money •! house with view over the Tigris- valley as meeting point •! each house can be rent separately •! roof sleeping •! terrace and cafe with view over the Tigris
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A3: Riverfront Improvement
The existing riverfront is in a really poor condition. It is used as a dump for the restaurants which are integrated into the city wall; pipes lead their wastewater into the river. There is no connection between the two ends of the riverfront and most of the accesses to the riverfront are in an ugly condition, closed, or kept as secrets. Since the slide there is also a new fence under construction, which now, might already close the access to the old beach, what also demands a new solution. A new beach is already prepared, but it needs to be cleaned and its access needs to be improved to raise acceptance for this area. But in total the site contains a high potential and little changes might improve the area a lot.
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A3: Riverfront Improvement – Accessibility & Connection
Potential examples are seen in the panoramic views along the Tigris with the cliffs and caves, as well as the connection of the two beaches which should vary in their meaning. While the western beach can only be built up in summer, the eastern beach for example could be built up in spring during the main season, because of the higher level of the beach above the river. The new car parking will also connect this beach much better to local visitors, while the other beach is more the place for day tourists coming with coaches. Finally at the new beach there could take place movie screenings or little events.
The accessibility was already mentioned and plays an important role in the concept. The access to the riverfront has to be easy and obvious to foreigners so several possible accessing points have been spotted. Some of them already exist, but are hidden, others would need new stairs or paths and a bit of design and cleaning, what could easily be done.
Finally the new riverfront is integrated in and linked to the tourist circuits and the other tourist attractions of Hasankeyf. A n improvement of this existing situation would definitely invite tourists to extend their stay for a couple of hours or days, which would have a direct influence on the local economy.
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A3.1 – Tigris Café
Within the improvement of the riverfront there are two examples shown how the area could be improved. The first uses one of the access points to propose a café at a small square next to the old bridge which isn’t used yet and whose entrance is hidden and a local “secret” at the moment. The place already has a high quality, due to its setting next to the old bridge and would only need a bit of fixing and cleaning, a couple of benches and maybe some shading elements like canopies. That way it could easily become the perfect place for a café where tourists can sit down, rest a bit and enjoy the ancient atmosphere of the old artifacts surrounding them as well as the beautiful scenery of the Tigris, while they are having tea, served by the local café owner who has a new possibility of earning some money.
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A3.2: Hasankeyf Beach Another example which would also need only small effort is the improvement of the accessibility to the new location of the restaurants. The accessibility is a very important issue to make this place successful. Also the appearance needs a big change to attract people. The litter has to be removed. Stairs can easily be built, using local resources and skills. Also terraces can be built, where a few trees could offer shading to sit underneath and simply relax. Those terraces could also be used as seating areas for events, held at the beach like cinema screenings, which could even take place in winter, so that it could also become a place to be for the inhabitants of Hasankeyf.
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A4: Visitor Resource Centre Objectives •! Provide information to tourists and Current Situation and Justification of visitors about Hasankeyf and Tigris Project Valley. Essential history, accommodation, •! Untapped tourism potential -- more suggested nature + heritage trips (1-day, organized tourist guides and clear 3-day, 1-week), contact information for information about what’s available to do local businesses in town and region •! Link Hasankeyf to a network of Tigris •! Opportunity for attracting eco-tourism to Valley tourist sites and attractions complement and diversify cultural •! Provide online platform for oral history heritage focus of tourism and community-collected photography •! Need to promote tourism in Hasankeyf and video more nationally and internationally •! People come for short (2-3 hour) visit Description of Actions and its main and leave components •! Lack of investment interest in area •! Website (English, Turkish, German) with because of threat of dam, limiting linked archive of community collected development of tourist facilities. Need for photos and videos community-led initiative. •! Brochure (English + Turkish) •! Local tourist office selling locally produced books/maps of Hasankeyf •! Creation of network linking other heritage sites in the Tigris Valley
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A4: Visitor Resource Centre, cont.
Expected Results at end of the project Implementing Institution •! Clear documentation and information of where to go and who to contact •! Do a Derne i (project manager) •! To increase volume of visitors, especially longer visits and 2-3 day excursions using Main Partners Hasankeyf as a base to explore area •! Municipality –! Number of rooms rented •! Funding institution –! Number of meals consumed •! Historical Cities Union –! Number of tours sold •! Hasankeyf residents •! Website hits •! Listings in travel guides (e.g., Lonely Planet, Provisional budget and origin of resources Rough Guide, Frommers, etc) •! Building and maintaining tourism website - 15,000 TL Expected Duration of the project •! Staffing tourism office – 10,000 TL per year •! Content development: 2 months (budget for staffing for first year and then •! Website development: 3 months revenues from tours sold could fund staff thereafter) •! Collection of photos and videos from community and posting online: 4 months – •! Staffing collection of historical documents, ongoing photographs, stories – volunteer? (need a project manager) •! Collection and digitization of oral/ community-recorded history: 6 months - •! Designing and printing brochure and circuit ongoing guides – 2000 TL •! Online tour guide marketing of website: 6 •! Converting video and photographs to digital months intensive– ongoing format – 1000 TL
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A4: Visitor Resource Centre, cont.
Provisional budget and origin of resources Coherence with guiding principles •! Building and maintaining tourism •! The tourism website and marketing of website - 15,000 TL Hasankeyf help to establish Hasankeyf’s •! Staffing tourism office – 10,000 TL per cultural, ecological and economic year (budget for staffing for first year and importance in the region, advancing the then revenues from tours sold could fund case for why the dam project and/or staff thereafter) resettling the town is not tolerable. •! Staffing collection of historical •! This initiative will both emphasise the documents, photographs, stories – tangible value of Hasankeyf through the volunteer? (need a project manager) promotion of cultural and ecological •! Designing and printing brochure and attractions as well as the intangible circuit guides – 2000 TL heritage of the people of Hasankeyf through the collection of stories and •! Converting video and photographs to digital format – 1000 TL Spatial implications •! Tourism office on local circuit route/ maps
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A4.1: Visitor Resource Centre - Website
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A4.2: Visitor Resource Centre – Tourist Office A5: Participatory Economic Growth
Current situation and justification of Project
The shops on the street leading to the castle are overwhelmingly dependent on tourist trade. However most offer an identical range of souvenir goods that are manufactured across the Middle East and Asia, with the notable exception of the locally made carpets. The limited range and lack of obvious connection to Hasankeyf is considered a reason for lower sales to tourists by shop owners. When the castle was open, the higher numbers of tourists meant that although sales were low business was sustainable but since closure business has suffered. The low numbers of people employed and purchase of stock from outside Hasankeyf restricts the local benefit further.
Connected to this, there are many small scale subsistence producers of local produce in Hasankeyf that could be processed, packaged and marketed to tourists. There are also local handicraft skills that could be commercialised. The individualised nature of these activities is a barrier to achieving this. The project therefore proposes a cooperative approach to production and marketing of local goods that supports participatory economic development (principle 2), has social benefits in relation to women’s development and livelihoods (principle 3) and political benefits in relation to explicitly integrating land use, culture and the economy (principle 1) and capacity for collective action (principle 4).
This project is connected to and supports the action projects proposing improvements to local tourism infrastructure and marketing and the women’s laundry / social space project.
Relation of the project in relation with official documents
The project does not require any significant physical construction or improvement that may contravene the heritage status of Hasankeyf.
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A5: Participatory Economic Growth, cont.
Objective
To establish cooperatives in production, processing, packaging and marketing of local food and drink and handicrafts.
Expected results at the end of the Project •! Increased diversity and trade in Hasankeyf tourist shops •! Increased family income in cooperative members •! Increased school attendance •! Through participation and leadership in the cooperatives, increased development of women in Hasankeyf through earning status, opportunities for socialising and skills sharing. •! Increased integration of local land use and living culture with the tourism economy. •! Increased marketing of Hasankeyf as a tourist destination and threatened living culture. •! Development of local skills and entrepreneurial capacities. •! Potential for micro-credit savings scheme within cooperatives. •! Increased shared interest between cooperatives and businesses in Hasankeyf, supporting the capacity for collective action.
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A5: Participatory Economic Growth, cont.
Description of the action and of its main components
•! Establishment of cooperative in production, processing, packaging and marketing of local ‘Hasankeyf branded’ food and drink products (breads, cheeses, jams, juices, dressings, fruit, olives etc) specifically for the tourist market that can be sold in tourist shops and hotels and packaged into picnic and walking tours etc. •! Establishment of cooperative in production, processing, packaging and marketing of local ‘Hasankeyf branded’ handicraft products (bags, fabrics, embroidery, art etc) that can be sold in tourist shops in Hasankeyf and beyond. •! Both sets of products can be marketed as supporting the threatened living culture of Hasankeyf. •! Either or both cooperatives may be women-run. •! The implementation of the project requires a stimulus which may be internal or external. Local Do!a Derne!i staff may be in a position to promote and support the proposal within local producers and shop owners in Hasankeyf through specific awareness raising events and workshops. •! Once sufficient interest and commitment is secured from producers and retailers, external support will be required to support the initial development of a business plan and the formal constitution of cooperative status. •! Limited start up capital for processing and packaging equipment will also be required. •! Production and meeting space should be available within the village and may be rented from cooperative members. •! The laundry project may provide space for women’s cooperative meetings and operations. •! While self-management and control is implicit within the cooperative model, external support should remain regularly available in both the operation of a cooperative and business planning for at least the first 12 months.
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A5: Participatory Economic Growth, cont. Indicative timetable for first 12 months
Month April May June July August Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March
Activity
Awareness raising activity Start up workshop
Formation of co-op
Training in co-op operation and business developme nt Production, processing, packaging
Local and regional marketing Sales
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A5: Participatory Economic Growth, cont.
Expected duration of the Project 12 months to implement with supported funds and achieve financial self-sufficiency.
Implementing institution Do!a Derne!i
Main partners Do!a Derne!i – awareness raising events and workshops, promotion and development, marketing of initiative and products outside Hasankeyf, linking the project to Save Hasankeyf initiative. Mayor’s office – access to start-up funding and external training support. Local producers – commitment and ownership, sharing of space. Local businesses – commitment to stock and promote co-op products.
Provisional budget and origin of resources
Components Origin of resources
Awareness raising workshops Do!a Derne! i Equipment External funding Production and meeting space (12 months) External funding Training and development (12 months) External funding Initial marketing (12 months) External funding
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A5: Participatory Economic Growth, cont.
Coherence with the Guiding Principles
The project proposes a cooperative approach to production and marketing of local goods that supports participatory economic development (principle 2), has social benefits in relation to women’s development and livelihoods (principle 3) and political benefits in relation to explicitly integrating land use, culture and the economy (principle 1) and developing capacity for collective action (principle 4).
This project is connected to and supports the action projects proposing improvements to local tourism infrastructure and marketing and the women’s laundry / social space project.
Spatial implications
The project will have implications throughout Hasankeyf, specifically increasing the integration of the agricultural and home-based production activity currently taking place with the commercial and tourism centre of the village.
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A5: Participatory Economic Growth, cont.
Money enters Hasankeyf from logistics traffic and tourists. Tourist numbers have recently declined and tourism services are suffering. Much income that is made from existing tourist businesses flows out again to suppliers in the region and beyond, reducing local economic benefit from commercial activity.
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf Developing and diversifying tourist businesses can retain more money in the local economy, support the marketing of Hasankeyf as a tourism destination and develop and market local skills. With increased organisation and cooperation between businesses, the Hasankeyf business community can present a strong voice in both the strengthening of the local economy and opposition to the dam.
Alternative Futures for Hasankeyf A5: Participatory Economic Growth, cont.
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