LOOKING AT MONUMENTAL STRUCTURES FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF HISTORICAL HERITAGE AND TOURISM: THE TOKAT CASE
Barış Ergen, Mustafa Çelik, Zeynep Ergen, Kemal Demir
DOI: 10.35666/25662880.2016.2.190
UDC: 338.48:904(560 Tokat)
Abstract: Monumental buildings in a historical environment are of significant value due to their centralized locations, massive scale, and striking features. Monumental buildings also play an important role in the introduction of the city in question. This study examines the tourismoriented viewpoints of the locals in Tokat on monumental buildings as cultural heritage samples. It aims to reveal both the interest of the city-dwellers in tourism, and their positive and negative views on it. The study was based on a face-to-face survey with a total of 200 people conducted in Tokat city center during the months of April and May 2016. An incidental method was used to select the survey participants. The survey was in two parts. The first included questions used to elicit the viewpoints of the locals in Tokat on tourism and tourists. The second part of the survey contained questions about the tourism-directed usage of the monumental buildings in the city, and whether these monumental buildings corresponded with tourism in terms of portraying the city image. As a result, it is observed that Tokat is an important tourist attraction with its historical texture; the locals in the city recognize the significance of tourism and they treat tourists in a hospitable manner. The historical texture and a city’s history are among the most important issues in cultural tourism. Additionally, the monumental buildings are the most significant elements as they reflect the architectural features of the relevant periods.
Key words: Cultural tourism, historical heritage, monuments, Tokat