As a conservation policy “Cultural Routes” and Erzurum Cultural Road Project

Anatolia is a rich geography where there are cities that have hosted different civilizations and have cultural heritage from different periods of history. Many Anatolian cities, which have the potential to holistically exhibit different layers of these periods through their cultural heritage assets, unfortunately lose this potential over time due to various factors. The importance of cultural heritage in the formation of cultural identity and its place in social memory has been better understood in recent years, and different conservation policies have been started to be developed with the preference of holistic conservation approaches instead of a singular conservation- restoration approach. Among these conservation policies, “cultural route” practices emerge as an important and sustainable alternative in terms of transferring the cultural heritage to future generations in a holistic and healthy way, although high costs and serious problems arise in expropriation. This conservation alternative is also preferred by local governments due to its holistic conservation approach and its contribution to the tourism economy of the city. Erzurum Cultural Road Project is a project that has been prepared for the historical city center and its implementation studies are continuing. Within the scope of this study, the concept of “culture route” as a conservation policy was examined in terms of its effects on preservation of tangible and intangible heritage and it was aimed to examine the Erzurum Cultural Road Project in this context. Cultural route projects, when created with the right and convenient criteria, are beneficial practices in terms of conservation that contribute to national and local economies. With its immovable cultural heritage from different periods and its intangible cultural heritage, Erzurum is a city with a high potential to create a cultural route. Considering the current potential of the city, the Erzurum Cultural Road project is understood to be limited to the city center. It is suggested that this aspect of the city, which is an important location of the historical Silk Road, should be revealed and integrated into an international cultural route, and the route should be expanded with places where visitors can experience the region- specific intangible cultural heritage, taste local savours, and experience the genius loci of the city.