Review of the recent restoration of the Vefa Kilise Camii

Abstract
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Abstract The Vefa Kilise Camii is a small but interesting Byzantine structure in Istanbul that has been of particular interest to researchers because of its mass, facade layout, and spatial composition. It was converted into a mosque in 1484 and listed as Kilise Camii in the Vakıflar Tahrir Defteri. Before its last repair in 2018, the structure was damaged by neglect, unplanned repairs, deterioration of materials, fires, earthquakes, functional changes, and vandalism. Both its Byzantine and Ottoman components were damaged. To this end, the Regional Directorate of Pious Foundations began repairing the structure in 2018 and reopened it to worship in early March 2021. The article presents an assessment of the restoration and makes a remark on general threats against its preservation, and maintenance. Restoring medieval structures requires a multidisciplinary, multi-expert team to define, repair, and maintain them. Vefa Kilise Camii repairs have revealed that a few things could have been handled better.
Key Words: Mid-Byzantine Era, Constantinople, Vefa, Kilise Camii, preservation.

References
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Corresponding Author:
Mine Esmer,
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University,
Istanbul,
Turkey,
E-mails: mesmer@fsm.edu.tr,
mineesmer@yahoo.com