Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, Dolmabahçe and the Anatolian Civilizations Museum are UNESCO-listed Turkish heritage sites. Artefacts include wood, fabric, parchment and oil paintings. NFPA 909 mandates VESDA early detection, water mist or gas instead of sprinklers, and a response scenario that minimizes water damage to artefacts.

Heritage Risk

  • Wooden structure: Ottoman architecture
  • Painting canvas: Oil-based
  • Manuscript: Parchment paper
  • Textile: Carpet kilim
  • Notre-Dame 2019: 850-yr wooden roof

NFPA 909 Strategy

  • Prevention: Passive primary
  • Early detection: VESDA HSSD
  • Minimize water: Water mist 70 bar
  • Gas suppression: FM-200 for artefacts
  • Salvage plan: Priority list

VESDA HSSD

  • Sensitivity: 0.005 percent obs/m
  • Air sampling: Pipe network
  • 4 alarm levels: Alert-Action-Fire 1-2
  • Invisible installation: Sampling holes concealed near exhibits
  • Historic palace harem: VESDA reference

Water Mist

  • High pressure: 70-100 bar
  • Droplet size: <100 um
  • Evaporation: Heat absorption
  • Water use: about 20 percent of a conventional sprinkler
  • Damage to artefacts: Minimal

Turkey Museums

  • Topkapı Palace: 400,000 artefacts, nested timber structures
  • Hagia Sophia: 1500 yr UNESCO
  • Dolmabahçe: Late Ottoman
  • Anatolian Civilizations: Ankara
  • Beirut 2020: Museum damage

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Sources & Further Reading

NFPA 909, NFPA 914, UNESCO, TS EN 14972, Getty Conservation. NFPA 909 Protection of Cultural Resource Properties.