Description:
The Miletus Ilyas Bey Complex, consisting of a mosque, a madrasah (school of higher education) and a double-hamam consisting of a section for men and of women, as well as several other structures, is located in the renowned archaeological site of Miletus, present-day town of Balat, in the Aydýn province of Turkey. The project began in June 2005 and was completed in June 2011. The primary aim of the project was conserving the Complex as a cultural heritage site by ensuring the 'holistic presentation and promotion of its natural and cultural elements'. It encouraged and sustained the living traditional use of the Complex while re-using the site as a museum-park to present the multi-layered cultural heritage of the region and traditions that are associated with it. The project involved two intertwined phases: 1. Research, Architectural Documentation and Project Preparation phase, involving specialist sub-projects; 2. Implementation phase, carried out in stages based on continuous data flow from on-site investigations and research. The project's objective was successfully realized through the collaboration of all parties involved. The project enabled the revival of both tangible (the monuments and the project site) and intangible (connection of the locals with the site) cultural heritage of the region.