3D Architectural Surveying of Diyarbakir Wall's Ulu Beden Tower with Terrestrial Laser Scanner

Turkey is one of the countries hosting many historical monuments. Many different cultures left rich traces of civilization in Anatolia. Keeping historical artifacts and documentation of these works is very important for the protection of this heritage. The technological progress changed the methods of surveying applications used nowadays. The changes in the methods of surveying applications reflected in the building survey applications too. The traditional surveying methods were replaced by digital photogrammetry and then by laser scanning methods. This work is contains the building survey of the Ulu Beden tower which is a part of Diyarbakir walls. Diyarbakir is a province in southeastern Turkey and in the past, it was home for many civilizations. Hittites, Persia, Macedonian and Seleucid Greeks, Rome, Byzantium, Arabs, Seljuk Empire, Mongol Empire and Ottoman Empire are among these civilizations leaving the traces in Diyarbakir. Diyarbakir wall is the second longest wall after the Great Wall of China. Hundreds of years after the construction of the walls, it is necessary to protect and restore it due to the corruption and demolition over time. In total, 45 stations were built for an architectural survey with laser scanner and the gathered point cloud data were combined together within computer environment to obtain a 3D model of the structure. (C) 2015 lire Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.