Historical buildings within the boundaries of Mugla are being restored and used for various purposes, protected and enlivened to serve culture tourism.
In Muğla, where there are 4,000 registered historical buildings in the province, 400 of them within the city itself, our cultural and historical heritage is being restored to their original state. While they are thus protected, they serve our country”s cultural tourism.
The best example of this are the historical buildings surrounding Konakaltı Square within the city, which have been restored, and are being utilized for various purposes.
The historical jailhouse, overlooking the same square, serves as Muğla Museum now. The area which used to be the prisoners” walking square now houses as a gallery where historical and cultural artifacts recovered from archeological digs in the Mugla region.
The historical inn restored under the guidance of Nail Çakırhan, holder of the Aga Khan Architectural Award, is now the “Konakaltı Culture Center”. It hosts Mugla”s weddings and other various cultural events.
Again facing the same square the historical building that used to be the Governor”s Mansion, Special Administration Building and Foundations Building in turn, now serves as the “Youth Center”.
One of the important historical buildings of Konakaltı Square is the one that used to be the government services building until the declaration of the republic, which then was used as the Justice Hall until the year 2000. It has been restored, and is now the Mugla City Council Building, being protected for future generations.
The building that once was the police station and the Headquarters of the Gendarmerie is now serving as the “Mugla Library”.
The Mayor of Mugla, Dr. Osman Gürün, while giving information about the historical buildings in Mugla, said, “We restored many buildings, and brought them to life. By restoring them, by establishing the balance between protection and utilization, we brought these historical structures to life, to serve both culture tourism, and our own people. At the same time, the goal is to show the attributes and the beauty of these buildings to our people and therefore ensure their protection. That is one goal. This building we are in now, the Konakaltı Culture Center, used to be an inn. Now, we are giving courses on many subjects here. All our activities are held here. Our weddings are held in this natural environment.”
A citizen of Mugla, Irfan Bozkurt, declared, “As the people of Mugla, it makes us very happy to see cultural values brought to life and utilized for many purposes. And it is important to have a place to take our friends that visit us, to show the values of Mugla.”
