In what ways can urban archaeological heritage contribute to the liveability of cities and promote the sustainability of urban life?

What are the recommended strategies for preservation, presentation, and public outreach?

Within the NIT Urban Heritage Lab series, this book offers proposals for four distinct archaeological sites in Ankara, generated through a three-month multidisciplinary educational and research program, which incorporated on-site studies and a research-by-design methodology integrating academic and professional perspectives.

In the autumn of 2023, the Netherlands Institute in Turkey (NIT) offered a graduate-level course program entitled "NIT Urban Heritage Lab: Archaeological Heritage and Liveable Cities." It revolved around archaeological heritage in urban settings and asked how this particular class of heritage sites can contribute to the liveability of cities and the sustainability of urban life. This book presents proposals that were developed by four interdisciplinary and international teams as part of the course. 

Cite as:

Gerritsen, Fokke, Cecchetti, Alvise, Arslan, Aysel, Günata, Gülşah, Özçakır, Özgün. (2025). Archaeological Heritage and Liveable Cities: Revalorizing the Archaeology of Roman Ankara. Istanbul: Netherlands Institute in Turkey.

Table of Contents

Introducing Archaeological Heritage and Liveable Cities
Fokke Gerritsen, Alvise Cecchetti, Aysel Arslan, Gülşah Günata, Özgün Özçakır

Multilayered Cities and Their Challenges
Ayşe Güliz Bilgin Altınöz

Changing Perspectives. The Shifting Significance of Urban Archaeology in Society
Jeroen Bouwmeester

Frameworks for Urban Archaeology in Türkiye: From Excavations to Negotiation: Layers of Policy, Practice, and Conflict
Yiğit Ozar

Ankara Through Time: The Emergence of a Multilayered Historic Town
Elif Selena Ayhan Koçyiğit

The Temple of Augustus and Roma at Ankara: Histories, Receptions, Legacies
Ketty Iannantuono

Project Proposals
Learning From Coexistence: The Tale of the Temple of Augustus and Hacı Bayram Veli Mosque
Ahu Sönmez, Bilge Nur Bektaş, Esra Ceren Kara, Gönül Demet, Hakan Tarhan

"Let's Meet at the Roman Bath": Tracing the Continuity Between the Absence and Presence
Ali Kaan Soysal, Evindar Çağlar, Evinç Doğan, Gülhan Kılınç Halıcı, Zeynep Buket Üstün

Cardo Maximus 2.0 Unveiled: Heritage Trails Weaving Past and Present, Cultivating Ankara's Cultural Node
Melda Balaban, Gökçe Kuzey Özdemir, Berna Bahar Ören, Mülkiye Kart, Gabriël Sel

Archaeo-Healer: Roman Theater as the Scene of the Collective Memory
Arzu Güler, Büşra Nur Gündoğdu, Fatma Kuş, Turgut Kartal, Zemzem Taşgüzen Polat

Reflections on Project Proposals
The Temple of Augustus and Roma at Ankara: Histories, Receptions, Legacies
Ketty Iannantuono

Navigating Temporal Complexity: Reflections on the Projects for the Integration of Archaeological Heritage into Contemporary Ankara
Pınar Aykaç