Based on the concern that not enough care is given to preserving our country's cultural heritage, and that traditional craftsmanship and handicrafts are at risk of disappearing, our Foundation took an important step in 2004 by launching the Training Woodwork Artisans for Historic Buildings Project.
Supported by the European Union and coordinated by İŞKUR (Turkish Employment Agency), the Training Woodwork Artisans for Historic Buildings Project was approved under the framework of the Active Labor Market Programs Project - New Opportunities Grant Scheme and came into effect on December 22, 2004. The project, designed to run for one year, also considered UNESCO's warning that Istanbul's historic peninsula could be removed from the World Heritage List.
The project had two main objectives:
- To ensure that traditional wooden houses that have survived to the present day can be preserved as a legacy for future generations.
- To train new craftsmen in traditional woodworking techniques, as their numbers had significantly dwindled.
As part of the project, skilled workers were trained, and it was once again demonstrated how well-designed cultural heritage projects can positively contribute to both individual and local economies.
Participants selected for the training had backgrounds in wood-related vocational schools, restoration colleges, or had at least five years of experience and knowledge in machinery use. The training was conducted in two phases.
- The first phase, lasting one and a half months, focused on theory and workshop training, and was held at the Istanbul Chamber of Industry Foundation Anatolian Technical Construction and Vocational High School workshops, led by university and high school faculty.
- In the second phase, a four-and-a-half-month field study was conducted. During this stage, two wooden houses in the Zeyrek district—allocated to the project by the Fatih Municipality and granted restoration permits by Istanbul’s No.1 Council for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage—were restored. The trainees completed their hands-on training in cooperation with members of the Association for the Protection of Historical Environment and Structures.
At the end of the training, 26 successful trainees were awarded a Mastery Certificate in Woodworking, jointly signed by the EU Delegation to Turkey, İŞKUR Istanbul Provincial Directorate, and the Cultural Awareness Foundation.
On June 30, 2006, at a ceremony hosted by Istanbul Deputy Governor Mr. Cumhur Güven Taşbaşı and Fatih Mayor Mr. Mustafa Demir, the two restored buildings were officially handed over to the Fatih Municipality to be returned to their rightful owners.