Between September 2011 and May 2012, Cultural Awareness Foundation launched a project to clean public artworks and archaeological sites in Istanbul.
As part of this initiative, and after obtaining the necessary permissions from the relevant official institutions, a large-scale environmental cleaning was first carried out in the historical area that includes the Church of St. Polyeuktos in Saraçhane. This work was conducted in collaboration with employees of Levi’s Istanbul Headquarters. The site was cleared of wild vegetation and litter. During the same period, the remains of the Martyrium of Saint Euphemia, located next to the courthouse in Sultanahmet, were also cleaned (https://www.thebyzantinelegacy.com/hagia-euphemia)..
Following these important efforts, attention turned to the cleaning of “Echo,” one of the sculptures commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Republic, created by artist Hüseyin Anka Özkan. The sculpture, which had become rusted in Gümüşsuyu Park, was cleaned on September 11, 2011, by our foundation’s volunteers under the supervision of Board Member Prof. Dr. Üzlifat Özgümüş and restorers Serra Kanyak and Özden Çelik.
The following year, the sculpture "Ballerina" by artist Atilla Onaran, located in front of Galatasaray Han in Beyoğlu, was cleaned by art history and restoration students under the guidance of restorer Serra Kanyak.