Reconstruction of Vallaury’s Staircase at the Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi: A Preservation Approach and the Recovery of Memory

Abstract

This article examines the removal of the original staircase of the Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi – the first fine arts school in Türkiye and the inaugural building of today's Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University – during its reorganisation as the Museum of the Ancient Orient (1963–1974) under a contemporary museology approach. It also discusses the reconstruction of this staircase in 1999–2000, a process strictly guided by archival documents and historical photographs. Through restitution and restoration, the building regained its original entrance façade and silhouette. The intervention is evaluated against international preservation charters (Venice, Burra, Nara, Riga) and the concept of lieu de mémoire. The study demonstrates that reconstruction, when supported by systematic documentary evidence, can serve as a legitimate means of recovering cultural memory without erasing the building's layered history. The reconstructed staircase now functions as a powerful symbol of lost heritage reclaimed, transmitting Vallaury's architectural vision to future generations.