The “The Future of Cultural Heritage: BIM-Based Digital Documentation and Sustainable Conservation Training”, supported under the TÜBİTAK 2237-A Scientific Training Activities Support Program and coordinated by Asst. Prof. Dr. Cemile Feyzan Şimşek, a faculty member of the Department of Architecture at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University (AYBU), was successfully held at the Faculty of Architecture and Fine Arts, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, on 21–25 September 2026.
The five-day program comprised a total of 35 hours of theoretical and practical training, addressing current methods and technologies for the digital documentation and conservation of cultural heritage through an integrated approach. Theoretical knowledge on Building Information Modeling (BIM), Heritage Building Information Modeling (HBIM), laser scanning, photogrammetry, point cloud processing, and 3D modeling was complemented by hands-on applications.
The program brought together 20 participants from different universities and cities across Türkiye, providing them with the opportunity to explore current approaches to digital heritage documentation alongside academics and representatives from public institutions and industry. One of the key components of the program was the fieldwork conducted at Karyağdı Sultan Tomb. Data acquired during the fieldwork were subsequently used in point cloud processing, 3D modeling, and HBIM applications. In this way, the training followed an integrated workflow extending from field data acquisition to data processing and the development of digital models.
The training team included Prof. Dr. Ümit Işıkdağ, Prof. Dr. Salah Haj Ismail, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Korumaz, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sema Alaçam, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ömer Dabanlı, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Emre Dinçer, Asst. Prof. Dr. Cemile Feyzan Şimşek, Asst. Prof. Dr. Fatma Sema Sekban, Asst. Prof. Dr. Süheyla Koç, Lect. Dr. Şeyma Seyrek, Lect. Dr. Ömer Faruk Pamak, Merve Alkan, Muhammed Nur Yaşar, Tolga Arçok, and Erkan Baygül. With contributions from academics from different universities as well as representatives from public institutions and industry, the program provided an interdisciplinary learning environment that brought together academic knowledge, contemporary practices, and digital technologies.
The five-day training program concluded on 25 September 2026 with a certificate ceremony attended by Prof. Dr. İhsan Toktaş, Dean of the AYBU Faculty of Architecture and Fine Arts, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Emre Dinçer, Vice Dean. Certificates were presented to the participants who successfully completed the program.
Supported by TÜBİTAK 2237-A, the training contributed to enhancing the knowledge and skills of young researchers and practitioners in digital documentation and HBIM technologies, while promoting innovative, interdisciplinary, and sustainable approaches to cultural heritage conservation.
