Assessing community awareness for participatory conservation of cultural heritage: the case of Tepebağ Tumulus and its surroundings in Adana Turkey

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the levels of awareness of locals about conservation and cultural heritage, in order to develop suggestions and methods for them to participate in these processes.Design/methodology/approachThe method of research is based on face-to-face surveys, mainly questionnaires that were conducted with 1,200 local people. The data obtained was evaluated using the SPSS 25.0.0 V program.FindingsThe results show that locals mainly find appropriate the assets that reflect their culture but disregard archaeological remains. The participation of locals in the conservation process will end up benefiting them economically.Social implicationsIt is currently accepted that effective conservation cannot be achieved unless its technical considerations are considered together with social and cultural aspects. Ensuring the participation of local people in the conservation process has proved to be important in the development of holistic and sustainable outcomes. In places, where multilayered cultural heritage exists and local residents are from different cultural backgrounds, a detailed assessment of cultural heritage perception that involves local people gains significance.Originality/valueIt is project-based in the sense of adding the dimension of community awareness to the practice of cultural heritage conservation in the multilayered and multicultural places.