Damage Assessment of Building Materials and Conservation Recommendations for Karacabey Ulu Mosque in Bursa

Karacabey Ulu Mosque is an example of an Ottoman transitional period mosque minaret and has been exposed to numerous disasters over the years. The structure suffered severe damage during earthquakes and the Karacabey Fire in the years of the Turkish War of Independence, and after each restoration, it lost some of its original architectural characteristics. Today, various deterioration problems are still present, and the conservation and sustainability of the building have become an urgent necessity. The aim of this study is to identify stone material deterioration patterns and their causative factors in Karacabey Ulu Mosque in Bursa, in order to provide scientific monitoring and decision support for future restoration works. For this purpose, the material deteriorations observed in the structure were classified based on the deterioration types defined in the ICOMOS-ISCS, and tabulated accordingly. The deteriorations identified through on-site observations were marked on these tables. In this method, the data obtained through visual inspection were documented with photographs and evaluated. As a result of the study, it was concluded that the sources of water and moisture within the structure, as well as the potential seismic effects on the building, should be urgently investigated in detail.