Towards a Comprehensive Typo-Morphological Exploration of Silifke (Mersin, Turkey) s Multi- Layered Urban Form: Methodological Insights within the Context of Urban Morphology

Many Anatolian towns with historically layered urban fabrics have undergone rapid spatial transformations in recent decades, often resulting in the loss of traditional morphology and the weakening of collective urban memory. This study focuses on Silifke (ancient Seleuceia ad Calycadnum), a mid-sized Anatolian town with a rich historical background, and examines the planning and morphological changes in its historic core within the broader context of cultural heritage conservation and urban policy. The analysis covers an approximately 150-hectare area that encompasses Silifke’s multi-layered historical center and archaeological protection zones, as defined in the 1995 conservation plan. The research employs a typo-morphological approach grounded in multi-layered mapping techniques and historical data. Its originality lies in developing a context-specific morphological framework for medium-sized Anatolian towns, a category that remains underrepresented in urban morphology literature. A key methodological contribution is the introduction of an “xray” analysis—superimposing chronological urban layers produced from archival maps, cadastral records, aerial photographs, historical engravings, and municipal plans. This method reveals the evolution of spatial elements such as street networks, building patterns, and plot configurations across different historical periods. Findings indicate that Silifke’s historic core retained strong spatial continuity until the mid-20th century. However, post-1950 rural-to-urban migration led to increased building activity; during the 1960s, parceling practices began to alter the traditional plot structure; and from the 1980s onward, the rise of high-rise construction further disrupted the historical urban fabric. Notably, the absence of a conservation-oriented development plan until 1995 allowed these transformations to unfold without a regulatory heritage framework. These cumulative changes constitute key turning points in the town’s morphological evolution. Overall, the study underscores the importance of integrating morphological analysis into heritage-sensitive urban planning and proposes a transferable analytical model for other Anatolian towns facing similar developmental pressures.