707 
urbana ed 
os Systems’ 
Vienna, 
.M., 2001. 
ntenna with 
tional Modal 
, Milano. 
for Simple 
Commission 
THE UTILITY OF GEODETIC SURVEY TECHNIQUES AND EQUIPMENTS IN 
ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE DOCUMENTATION - AN ASSESSMENT OF RECENT 
APPROACHES IN TURKEY: THE DOCUMENTATION PROJECT OF THE OTTOMAN 
FORTRESSES OF SEDDULBAHIR AND KUMKALE 
C. Guney a , R. N. Celik a , L. Thys-Çenocak b , A. Ozsavasci c 
a lTU, Civil Engineering Faculty, Geodesy Division, 80626 Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey - (guneycan, celikn)@itu.edu.tr 
b KU, History Department, Rumeli Fener Yolu, Sariyer, Istanbul, Turkey - (LSENOCAK@ku.edu.tr) 
c Architect (ITU), Istanbul, Turkey - (aozsavasci@yahoo.com) 
KEY WORDS: Heritage documentation, historical research, geodetic survey, architectural survey, survey methodology, 3D digital 
database, multi-discipliner interactions, GIS 
ABSTRACT: 
In this paper, the intersection of geodetic and architectural survey techniques are examined through the case study of the heritage 
documentation project of two Ottoman fortresses, Seddiilbahir and Kumkale. During the five-year period of the survey, traditional as 
well as several new techniques for surveying and compiling architectural, historical and geodetic data were utilized, the results of the 
documentation project are now being processed and prepared for publication. The project was initiated as research on a specific 
topic; the most recent step in the documentation process has been the integration of all collected data into GIS. Threecomponents of 
heritage documentation that were used in this project are explained in this paper and compared to contemporaryapproaches in 
heritage documentation. This paper addresses the various challenges and choices that our team faced during the course of the project, 
both in terms of understanding and utilizing the most recent survey technologies available in Turkey and in working with a multi 
disciplinary team in a heritage documentation project. 
INTRODUCTION 
In this paper, the intersections of geodetic and architectural 
survey methods are examined through the case study of a 
recent documentation project of two seventeenth century 
Ottoman fortresses located either side of the Dardanelles: 
Seddiilbahir and Kumkale, the project was initiated in 1997 
by the Department of History, Koq University and the 
Geodesy Division at Istanbul Technical University. Asst. 
Prof. Lucienne Thys-$enocak from the Department of 
History in K09 University directed the architectural and 
historic research. The geodetic survey was directed by Assoc. 
Prof. Rahmi N. Qelik from Geodesy Division of Geodesy and 
Photogrammetry Department of Istanbul Technical 
University. The on site surveying was completed in July 
2002 and now the results of the five year survey are being 
processed and prepared for publication. During the survey, 
traditional as well as several new techniques for surveying 
and compiling architectural, historical and geodetic data were 
utilized. The most recent step in the documentation process is 
the integration of various types of data into GIS 
(Geographical Information Systems) application. 
In 1997, the aim of the project was twofold: first to document 
the existing remains of the fortress by generating the maps 
and architectural drawings of the structures on the site; 
second to bring together a vast array of data such as repair 
records from the Ottoman archives, European and Ottoman 
historical chronicles, drawings, engravings and archival 
photographs from various libraries’ collections in order to 
assess the development of the fortresses and adjoining 
structures. The additional part of the project that developed 
in the 1999-2001 seasons at Seddiilbahir and Kumkale was 
the oral history of the villages whose locations were within 
the parameters of the historical research and survey project, 
work. Meanwhile the historical research developed into a 
second and third project: the epigraphic documentation of 
remaining 287 Ottoman tombstones of the Kumkale 
cemetery and an oral history of the two villages of 
Seddulbahir and Kumkale. Parallel to this research, the 
precise geodetic and architectural survey of the fortresses and 
their immediate environs continued. As the project developed 
and research goals diversified, the collection of diverse types 
of data and the utilization of different measurement systems 
required a new platform to evaluate the data sets in an 
efficient, inexpensive and productive way. 
After the first year of the survey our team decided that the 
optimum system for organizing the results of this type of 
project was GIS. We felt that GIS would be a more 
accommodating tool for our diverse research needs and 
would allow for scholars from the many disciplines that are 
involved in the project to interact and participate in the 
particular goals that are interested in while maintaining an 
understanding and appreciation of the larger research picture. 
The more flexible web like structure of the GIS allows for a 
less linear approach to data collection and problem solving. 
As a pilot study for our GIS we decided to begin with the 
simplest part of the physical survey: the Ottoman cemetery of 
Kumkale. In this smaller project we could better understand 
the challenges that would face us when applying GIS to the 
organization of the vast amount of data we had collected for 
the two fortifications. The results of this pilot project at the 
Kumkale cemetery has been discussed elsewhere and the 
results of some of the preliminary findings can be found on 
the project website. 
(www.seddulbahir-kumkale.com)