SELANİK ATATÜRK EVİ 1978 HAZİRAN DEPREMİ SONRASI RESTORASYONU

The earthquake of June 20, 1978, that devastated more than 500 buildings and damaged a total of nearly 13 000 in and around Thessalonica also affected the birthplace in that city of Atatürk, founder and the first President of modern Turkey. The house, built sometime prior to 1870, had been bought by Atatürk's parents shortly after 1878. It was taken over by the Greek Government under the provisions of Lausanne Treaty but was later presented to President Atatürk in 1937 as a token of the goodwill and friendship between the two nations. The earthquake damage was examined thoroughly by the authors in July, 1978, İn collaboration with an architect-restorar from the Turkish Ministry of Culture. It was readily observable that the behaviour of the building in the last as well as the many preceeding tremors had been commendable in that the structural system withstood the shocks successfully and that the total damage was confined to a series of minor plaster and/or stucco cracks in various parts, notably the spaces to the left of the entrance owing to an asymmetrical massing in that area. The Turkish Consulate İn Thessalonica were duely advised on the immediate remedial measures drawn up after the inspections and a more detailed restoration and consolidation scheme was later prepared. The job was then commissioned to a local contractor in 1979 and completed in early 1980.