THE VILLAGE REBORN, UÇHİSAR
Central Anatolia’s symbol is a settlement with a 300-year-old history. In fact, it is a cultural mosaic region stretching from Aksaray to Malatya, from the Taurus Mountains to the Eastern Black Sea. Today, it is known for its natural wonders, including Uçhisar, Ürgüp, Avanos, Göreme, Derinkuyu, Kaymaklı, and Ihlara Valley.
Our 4-day Cappadocia trip, organized by Yaktaş, was packed with activities. The meticulously planned itinerary, combined with the valuable narration and contributions of our colleague Ms. Aslı Özbay, turned into an indescribable pleasure. We won’t go into detail about everything we did and where we went in Cappadocia. In this short article, we want to talk about Argos in Cappadocia, which many of us know and may have stayed at, with a brief description of Uçhisar.
In the words of Aslı Özbay, “Argos in Cappadocia” is “an effort to carefully restore rock-carved spaces that have been buried under rubble for years, while remaining as faithful as possible to the concept of preservation.” The story actually begins in Uçhisar. Alongside the history of the village, information about the social, cultural, and geographical changes from the past to the present and the village itself up to today, as well as what is known about the region, is limited. The most distinctive feature of Uçhisar is that it is located on the highest rock in the region and has a very wide and magnificent valley perspective. The village, which became a disaster area in the 1960s and was abandoned, caught the attention of Mr. Gökşin Ilıcalı in 1996. After 13 years of patient work starting in 1997, it was reborn in 2010 under the name “Argos in Cappadocia.” Initially opening as a 27-room hotel, it now has 52 rooms and is a successful example of restoration, hosting various events with its terraces where organic farming activities are revived, unique rock-carved spaces, Bezirhane, and Museum Hall. It is worth noting that the Museum Hall was also awarded in the Building Conservation category at the 2018 National Architecture Awards.
The Argos in Cappadocia project, which took shape over six stages spanning different years, gives the impression from the narratives, projects, and visuals that the work was carried out with an approach different from the architectural practices we know. The projects continued to develop and evolve during the fieldwork. In fact, in situations where architectural education, knowledge, calculations, and engineering are insufficient, master stonemasons who are experts in their field are included in the process, and the work is carried out almost like a cooperative effort. Truly exciting, it is a beacon of hope for many similar collaborations awaiting their turn in our country, and even for new projects that have not yet seen the light of day, whose turn is uncertain. In these valuable works, we respectfully remember Mr. Turgut Cansever, who advised on the project, and we thank Ms. Aslı Özbay for her efforts in meticulously continuing the work.
Although perhaps not directly related to the region, during our short stay, while witnessing the harmonious coexistence of the new and the old, we were reminded of the Gül Evi in Safranbolu, where Mr. İbrahim Canbulat, with the same architectural sensitivity, has brought the past back to life in its original form with an original approach, adapted to today’s conditions. We will dedicate a separate section to the Gül Evi in the coming weeks
Finally, it is worth mentioning a few words about the current state of the region. Despite the negative changes in the overall visitor profile and quality, the region, which has long hosted French visitor groups in particular, can still be considered a center of interest. During our brief visit, despite the disappointments and negative experiences we witnessed due to misguided cultural, tourism, and business policies, we hope that examples like Argos will increase in number and serve as a model for the region, provided they are entrusted to knowledgeable and competent hands by the right, visionary investors.
