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SEDDÜLBAHİR FORTRESS
Located in the village of Seddülbahir, the fortress is situated at the southernmost tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula, at the entrance to the strait, on the edge of the bay called Ertuğrul or Cape Helles.
Seddülbahir Fortress is a rectangular structure whose corners are supported by towers. The walls that make up the body and towers of the castle were generally built with cut and rough stones on the walls and rubble stone and white lime mortar filling in the core. Building layers can be observed from the outside because the wall sections have been destroyed and have not been interfered with over the years.
Sedd-ül-bahir, meaning the wall of the sea, is a 17th century Ottoman fortress. Its construction started in 1658 under the auspices of IV. Mehmet’s mother, Hatice Turhan Sultan. It was built to form the first line of defense against the strait attacks of the Venetians. Turhan Sultan is the first mother sultan to be a military building sponsor in Ottoman history.
The fortress has been the subject of a comprehensive academic research project since 1997 and a documentation, restoration and conservation project since 2004. Restoration works started in 2015. Re-use project is one of the most important steps of the project, which was selected as a result of an invited competition opened in 2017 with the aim of refunctioning the fortress. The main intention was the revitalization of the destroyed Bab-ı Kebir and the new museum building. In addition to these, the square in front of the fortress was designed, the primary school in the square was converted into a visitors center, new functions were given to the historical spaces, and landscaping was designed.
Instead of a reconstructionist restoration approach, an abstract completion proposal was developed in some parts, especially at the Bab-ı Kebir and the Domed Building. Reconstruction of a very large lost mass with similar materials would not only cause the remains to be destroyed to a large extent, but also create the possibility of mistakes in the interpretation of details for which we do not have enough information and documents. Instead, it was decided to make a contemporary revival that would make you feel the silhouette of the Bab-ı Kebir and the main wall line on which it is located.
As a result of extensive research examining the situation of the castle in different periods, the height and shape decisions to be used in the revitalization of the gate were taken. In order to show the general form of the Bab-ı Kebir, a light wooden structure was proposed that would differ from the stone walls of the castle but would not look too foreign. Thus, it was aimed not only to revive the height, monumental character and entrance function of Bab-ı Kebir, but also to make its contemporary additional quality evident. This design language, in which wooden elements are used, was also used in the completion of the crenels that disappeared in the East Tower and in the completion of the roof cover in the Domed Building.
Unfortunately, the dome of the Domed Building, whose main walls were in a relatively healthy condition, could not reach the present day. After the body walls were meticulously restored, the dome of the building was completed with an abstract proposal, just like in the Bab-ı Kebir structure. The dome, designed with the same character as the Bab-ı Kebir completion, can clearly express its structure from the outside and inside of the building.
The historical walking path unearthed as a result of the excavations determined the form and circulation of the new building. The visitor coming from the Bab-ı Kebir walking path goes down from the terrace level to the level where the museum and cafe are located, with the ramps. Then goes down to the lowest level where the magazines street and service volumes are located. Perceiving the fortress and its surroundings on the terrace, the visitor is informed about the historical key points on the ramp and accesses the museum part.
A new building was designed in order to provide unhindered access to the castle courtyard, to exhibit the finds unearthed in archaeological excavations under appropriate conditions, and to avoid placing service areas such as toilets, infirmaries, and technical rooms inside historical buildings.
