Members of the Association for Preservation and Solidarity of Didim Rumeli Culture have held a meeting with the Aydin National Museum director about the fate of the historical Cumhuriyet Primary School.

The 98-year-old historical building, next to the world-famous Temple of Apollo, has been earmarked for demolition.

However, the structure is seen as a key witness to the story of the population exchange that began in Didim in 1924. The people of Didim, who transformed the three-classroom building, originally used by a church priest during the population exchange, into a school, spearheaded the literacy campaign of the young Republic under this roof.

The building was rendered unusable by a major fire in 1945. However, during the difficult years of World War II, the people of Didim joined forces without waiting for government intervention.

They carried stones, mixed mortar, and, with a spirit of collective effort, rebuilt the school. In 1986, the building was renovated with the support of the public, reinforcing it with columns and beams. Today, it has been abandoned and faces the threat of demolition.

However, Association members recently visited Mr Baran Aydın, the Director of the Aydın National Museum in his office and exchanged extensive ideas on the historical and cultural heritage of Didim.

The most important agenda item of our meeting is the historical Republic Primary School located adjacent to the Old Village Hisar Mosque, which was built in the past as a church and after the population exchange in 1924, converted into a mosque to meet the worship needs of our elders who settled in Didim.

Children of families who settled in Didim with an exchange in 1924, began their education life in this building in 1928 according to the education mobilization of the Republic. Thus, the Elementary School has trained thousands of students for nearly a century as one of the first educational institutions in our district.

In 2015, with the opening of a larger and modern school building, educational activities moved to a new building and the historical structure remained empty. Following the closure of the mosque for worship due to structural cracks occurred at the Old Village Hisar Mosque in 2022, the historic Republic Elementary School began to be used as a temporary mosque.

At the same time, geophysical radar studies and archaeological investigations carried out around the Temple of Apollo have revealed that significant archaeological remains belonging to the Temple of Apollon complex could be found beneath the school building.

In this regard, new excavation works are being planned in the area and moving the worship service to another suitable area is being evaluated.

The Assoiciation said the building is an important cultural existence, symbolizing the identity of the exchange society and the educational struggle given during the first years of the Republic. Demolishing such a valuable structure will cause deep sadness within local society.

On the other hand, we believe that the archaeological artifacts that will be unearthed as a result of scientific excavations will contribute not only to Didim but also to the cultural heritage and tourism of our country.

The Association added: “We are not against bringing up historical values. On the contrary, we believe that solutions are possible in which both the archaeological heritage and our recent cultural heritage can be preserved together.

“In this scope, in our discussions, we suggested that the excavations be carried out after the completion of the necessary permissions and scientific works and that the Republic Elementary School be relocated to a suitable area to protect the same architectural features by documenting the principles of re-establishment, restitution and restoration.

“Thanks to such an application, the evaluated archaeological site involved in the extension of the Temple of Apollo will be brought to light, while our nearly century-old educational heritage will also be preserved.

“In addition, the evaluation of the Republic Elementary School, which will come back to life, as a museum and cultural center describing both the traces of the exchange in Didim and the archaeological artifacts to be discovered in the region, will make significant contributions to the cultural tourism of our district. In this way, both the urban memory will be preserved and a new cultural attraction center will be given to Didim.”

In conclusion, it said: “As the Didim Rumeli Culture Preservation and Solidarity Association, our goal is never to prevent historical excavations. On the contrary, acting in the light of common sense and science, we support the implementation of solutions that will most accurately transfer both our culture, urban memory, and the archaeological richness of our region to future generations.

“We would like to thank Mr. Baran Aydın, the Director of the Aydın National Museum for his kind hosting, constructive approach and interest shown to us. We respectfully express that we will follow the process closely and continue to inform the public about the developments.”

The above information was sourced from the Didim Association for the Preservation and Solidarity of Rumian Culture facebook page.