I believe these two sentences are the most remarkable in the Venice Charter (International

Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites,1964): “People are
becoming more and more conscious of the unity of human values and regard ancient
monuments as a common heritage. The common responsibility to safeguard them for future
generations is recognized.” Being common, unity and the collectivism is the emphasis here, in
other words; Cultural Heritage belongs to all humanity and preservation of it is a common duty.
Naturally, the conservator should play the leading role for this duty. To do this, she should
observe, learn and practice outside of her boundaries and convey her knowledge to the abroad
in order to contribute. Fulbright Ph.D. Grant is the perfect opportunity for an architect who
studies Historic Preservation since universities in the USA have a myriad of programs in this
field on an international ground. In addition, the Turkish-American relations are quite close
thanks to organizations like ARIT (American Research Institute in Turkey) in this field.
My interest in Historic Preservation started in 2011, during my undergraduate education in
Middle East Technical University, with Conservation Summer Internship in Hamamarkası and
Ulucanlar/Ankara. I learned the basic techniques of architectural survey and documentation and
also was taught the use of total station and encouraged about Historic Preservation by Kemal
Gülcen from Photogrammetry Lab and Documentation Unit/METU. In 2011-2012 Fall
Semester, I took the ARCH409/Perspectives in the Conservation and Valorization of Cultural
Heritage course offered by Dr. xxx which piqued my interest about the field. In 2012 we started
a Verbal History Study in Bacıköy/Ankara together with Dr. xxx as METU undergraduate
students. Later in 2013, we joined the 7th International Cultural Studies Symposium – Memory
and Culture organized jointly by the Turkish Cultural Studies Association and Bilkent
University. Working in the archeological excavation of the Ancient City Nysa/Aydın during
the summer of 2013 was a milestone for me as I understood Historic Preservation had become
a passion for me. I attended several courses related to history of art and architecture and started
following Historic Preservation issues and developments in Turkey. Henceforth I decided to
learn about historic building materials because I believed that there is a lack of communication
between architects, engineers and those who study archaeometry. As a result, I took
ARCH457/Introduction to Deterioration and Conservation course given by Prof. Dr. Emine xxx
and Assoc. Prof. Dr. xxx from METU Conservation Laboratory.
Near the end of my undergraduate study, I decided to be a professional in the field of Historic
Preservation and applied for a M.Sc. degree in Gazi University.
Throughout my graduate education in Gazi University, not only I took courses about Historic
Preservation but also about Design, Theory and Building Science. I met my thesis advisor
Assoc. Prof. Dr. xxxx during my first semester in 5121355/Traditional Structural Systems
course and developed a strong academic relationship with her. Furthermore, I kept in touch with
my former university METU by joining master’ s degree courses as a special student. I had the
distinct honor of meeting Prof. Dr. xxxx in CONS511/Theory of Restoration and Conservation
course in METU since he is an inspiration to every student being an important figure in Turkish
Historic Preservation History. The graduate courses given by Prof. Dr. xxxxx and Assoc. Prof.
Dr. xxxxx in METU fed my interest in historic building materials. I continued my education
during 2017-2018 Fall semester in La Sapienza University of Rome with an Erasmus
Scholarship. Living and studying in the city of Rome provided me with the knowledge of Italian
Approach to Art History and Historic Preservation. Besides, I learned the value of studying and
living abroad. I am currently working on my preliminary thesis study with my advisor regarding
the conservation of Historic Beçin Castle in Muğla/Turkey. Moreover, we will be presenting
in YOCOCU 2018 Conference-Dialogues in Cultural Heritage as a group under the supervision
of Prof. Dr. xxxx and Assoc. Prof. Dr. xxxx with the study “Basic Performance and
Compositional Properties of Historical Building Materials: Ermeni Hamamı (Sivrihisar,
Turkey)” conducted in METU Conservation Laboratory.
My specific interests are analysis of historic building materials, production of compatible
repair materials, diagnosis of decay forms, rehabilitation of historic structural systems and
conservation of archaeological sites.
I always remember Prof. Dr. xxxx talking about women in the field of Conservation; He
stated that women tend to protect and preserve, that is why he is happy to see women working
in this field. My goal is to pursue an academic career with a Ph.D. degree and also become an
active conservator taking part in international projects and to improve myself in order to be a
consultant in Historic Preservation field. I want to see women rise in academia and professional
life, one of my goals is to see the public image of women improve and see it rise to the top
through hard work and dedication. I strongly believe that I can accomplish this purpose with
Fulbright Ph.D. Grant.