The Impacts of Climate Change on Historical Buildings: A Turkish Perspective

1. Regional Pathologies: Which Region, Which Risk?

Turkey’s climate diversity causes the deterioration mechanisms that historical buildings are exposed to differ regionally.

The Black Sea: Biological siege
High humidity and an irregular precipitation regime accelerate biological colonization (algae, lichen, fungi) on surfaces. These formations are not only an aesthetic problem but also an active destructive agent that chemically weakens the mineral structure of the material.

Mediterranean and Aegean: Salt and thermal stress
Sea-sourced salt aerosols and high UV exposure increase crystallization pressure on stone surfaces and cause surface scaling due to thermal expansion.

Central and Eastern Anatolia: Freeze-thaw mechanism
Wide temperature differences and harsh winter conditions cause the water within pores to freeze and expand volumetrically. This accelerates the transformation of micro-cracks into structural damage over time.

2. Material Character and Capillary Dynamics

The historical building stock in Turkey consists of materials with high capillarity, such as limestone, tuff, brick, and lime-based mortars. With climate change, increasing sudden rainfalls and irregular drying cycles cause these materials to reach saturation levels faster and prolong drying times.

This is not merely a superficial moisture problem, but also signifies the disruption of the material’s thermodynamic balance.

3. Urban Heat Island and Historical Fabric

In dense city centers (such as Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir), historical buildings are exposed to temperatures on average 3–5°C higher than their surroundings. This urban heat island effect:

• Increases thermal fatigue of the material,
• Alters day-night temperature differences,
• Accelerates surface reactions of atmospheric pollutants.

Consequently, pollutants combined with moisture trigger more aggressive sulfation processes on stone surfaces, accelerating the formation of black crusts.

4. Future Strategy: Local Data-Driven Conservation Approach

The most critical need specific to Turkey is the development of conservation strategies based on regional micro-climate data rather than general European climate models.

The fundamental question is no longer “which material should be used?” but rather “How will this material behave in the changing temperature and humidity cycles of this region?” This approach elevates the conservation strategy from material selection to the level of building behavior analysis.

Conclusion

Turkey is one of the geographies where the effects of climate change on historical buildings can be observed most clearly in terms of both diversity and intensity. Therefore, conservation strategies must rely on a holistic approach that is not solely material-based but simultaneously evaluates regional climate behaviors and building physics.