Mauritius Island Colonial and Postcolonial Heritage and Heritage Preservation Efforts

Abstract

The Transatlantic Slave Trade, which refers to the transportation of millions of Africans by the Europeans from the 16th century to the 19th century, over the Atlantic and Indian Oceans under difficult conditions, to the Americas to be worked as slaves in various plantations, left deep pains on Africa. This period, called the colonial period, was influential in the realization of the British Century. In the colonial order, one of the most strategic regions of the empire on the Indian Ocean was the island of Mauritius. Acting as a supply and transit hub, the island also hosted the British Empire's Great Experiment, where the contract worker system was put to the test for the first time, as the colonial era ended and the transition to the postcolonial era. With these features, the island has an important heritage accumulation regarding the colonial period, the postcolonial period and the transition period between these two periods. The unique and mixed culture on the island, which was opened for use during the colonial period, has syncretic beliefs and creole language features. Today, this rich heritage accumulation on the island emerges as a value that has been taken under national and international protection. This study examines the island's specific periodic heritage accumulation and heritage preservation processes.

Keywords

• History of art
• architectural conservation and restoration
• cultural heritage
• Republic of Mauritius

Mauritius Adası Kolonyal ve Postkolonyal Dönem Mirası ve Mirasın Korunmasına Yönelik Çalışmalar

Öz

Avrupalılar tarafından 16. yüzyıldan 19. yüzyıla değin milyonlarca Afrikalının köle olarak çeşitli plantasyonlarda çalıştırılmak üzere Atlantik ve Hint Okyanusları üzerinden zor şartlar altında Amerika kıtasına taşınmasını ifade eden Transatlantik Köle Ticareti, Afrika üzerinde derin izler bırakmıştır. Kolonyal dönem olarak adlandırılan bu dönem, Britanya Yüzyılı’nın yaşanmasında etkili olmuştur. Kolonyal düzende imparatorluğun Hint Okyanusu üzerindeki en stratejik bölgelerden birisi Mauritius Adası olmuştur. Bir ikmal ve aktarma merkezi olarak görev yapan ada, aynı zamanda kolonyal dönemin sonlandırılıp postkolonyal döneme geçişte, ilk defa sözleşmeli işçilerin denendiği Britanya İmparatorluğu’nun Büyük Deney’ine de ev sahipliği yapmıştır. Bu özellikleri ile ada, kolonyal döneme, postkolonyal döneme ve bu iki dönem arası geçiş dönemine dair önemli bir miras birikimine sahiptir. Kolonyal dönemde kullanıma açılan adadaki özgün ve karma kültür, senkretik inanç ve kreol dil özelliklerini barındırmaktadır. Adada bulunan bu zengin miras birikimi, günümüzde ulusal ve uluslararası boyutlarda koruma altına alınmış birer değer olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Çalışma, adanın dönemsel miras birikimini ve koruma süreçlerini incelemektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sanat tarihi
• mimarî koruma ve restorasyon
• kültürel miras
• Mauritius Cumhuriyeti

Kaynakça

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