Aksaray University (ASÜ) Department of Architecture students visited Tyana Ancient City and its aqueducts in Kemerhisar, the Roman Pool in Bahçeli, and historic sites in Niğde city centre as part of a technical trip that brought architectural education together with on-site observation.

Tracing stone, water and time

The first part of the trip focused on Tyana Ancient City, the historic aqueducts and the Roman Pool. Students examined how the historic system that carried water from its source to the settlement responded to the terrain, evaluating it through scale, material and construction technique.

During the city-centre programme, students visited historic sites, monumental buildings and museum spaces. Stone façades, arch and vault systems, ornamentation, spatial organisation and the position of buildings within the urban fabric were observed on site.

Reading architecture on site

By comparing traces left by different periods within the same geography, students reflected on documenting, conserving and passing cultural heritage on to future generations.

The trip connected architectural education with history, geography and cultural context, enabling knowledge gained in the classroom to be reconsidered in real spaces. Architecturally meaningful and productive, the programme became a lasting learning experience for the students.