Documentation of Historical Buildings With Terrestrial Laser Scanning Method: the Case Study of Armenian Church in Sivrihisar, in Eskisehir-Turkey

Abstract

Anatolian geography, which had hosted different civilization and culture through history, has lots of historical building that were inherited in these communities. As a witness of history, historical structures have been carrying very important information from past to present. Because of the natural and humanistic reasons, these structures have been damaged and lots of historical information has been lost today. Historical artifacts need to be protected for transferring to the next generation. The most effective way of protection is a rapid documentation of these artifacts. Terrestrial laser scanning method, that is one of the advanced techniques, allows to rapid and detailed, precise and digitally 3D documentation of historical artifacts. The aim of this study is to investigate the applicability of terrestrial laser scanning method at historical building documentation. Within this scope, Documentation of an old Armenian Church, which is in Sivrihisar, Eskisehir, was achieved with a 3D terrestrial laser scanning instrument. The Armenian Church was built for Surp Yerortutyun in 1881. This Church has the feature of the first Armenian Church which built with public money. The Church is the second big church on the Turkey geography. The structure which had abandoned for the last twenty year has been restored as proper of original feature by The Sivrihisar Municipality. The results from the documentations shown that Terrestrial laser scanning method is the usable method for documentation of historical buildings.