Developing and applying an analytical framework for visitor centres at archaeological heritage sites

Integrating visitor centres into archaeological heritage sites requires balancing conservation integrity with contemporary design, accessibility, and sustainability. While international charters provide guiding principles, systematic evaluation methods remain underdeveloped. This study develops an AHP-informed qualitative framework operationalising conservation principles into weighted criteria, applied to Çatalhöyük Visitor Centre (2024). The framework synthesises international charters (Venice 1964; Valletta 2011) and contemporary scholarship into a three-tier hierarchy: conservation principles (0.50), interpretation and engagement (0.30), and auxiliary functions (0.20). Multi-season field research (May-September 2024) employed systematic observation, photographic documentation, and behavioural analysis. The assessment reveals that Çatalhöyük employs a contrast-neutral hybrid design that achieves exemplary Tier I compliance. (minimal intervention, reversibility) and sophisticated interpretation (Tier II), while accessibility (Tier III) and community governance remain partially addressed. The study demonstrates framework transferability across World Heritage contexts, offering a replicable methodology for heritage management, policy development, and comparative evaluation

Cultural heritage · Cultural heritage management · Industrial heritage · Scholarship · Transferability · Visitor pattern · Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation · Museums and Cultural Heritage · Place Attachment and Urban Studies