Cultural and Ekistic Heritage of Princes’ Islands: A Study on Halki and Its Enhancement Through Augmented Reality

This study aims to photograph, design, and digitally document the surviving residential buildings on the island of Halki (Heybeliada), within the Princes’ Islands. This documentation focuses on the architectural, urban, and historical aspects of Halki, highlighting the significant material evidence...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Anna Chatsiopoulou, Vasilis Dimitriadis, Maria Panakaki, Eleni G. Gavra, Nikolaos Liazos, Panagiotis D. Michailidis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Heritage
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/8/7/243
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849246497418248192
author Anna Chatsiopoulou
Vasilis Dimitriadis
Maria Panakaki
Eleni G. Gavra
Nikolaos Liazos
Panagiotis D. Michailidis
author_facet Anna Chatsiopoulou
Vasilis Dimitriadis
Maria Panakaki
Eleni G. Gavra
Nikolaos Liazos
Panagiotis D. Michailidis
author_sort Anna Chatsiopoulou
collection DOAJ
description This study aims to photograph, design, and digitally document the surviving residential buildings on the island of Halki (Heybeliada), within the Princes’ Islands. This documentation focuses on the architectural, urban, and historical aspects of Halki, highlighting the significant material evidence of the Greek social and economic presence. It also examines the urban cultural heritage as depicted in Turkish literature of that period to understand how Turkish writers perceived and presented Halki, referencing the Princes’ Islands only for background context. The methodology includes the collection of material from residents through bibliographic and field research conducted on Halki. Based on these findings, a mobile augmented reality (AR) application was developed using the TaleBlazer platform, designed specifically for use on Halki. The application provides a virtual tour with multimedia-supported thematic layers of architectural and historical information. Its usability and learnability were evaluated using a questionnaire completed by students. The results showed high usability, user satisfaction, and perceived value of learning, with the majority of results close to a median score of 4 out of 5. The students identified the occurrence of immersive experience, ease of use, and the emotional stimulation created by the integration of spatial storytelling and multimedia. This paper also shows how the convergence of cultural content (history, architecture, and literature) can enhance interpretations and experiences with mobile AR technologies.
format Article
id doaj-art-6143bcec33f04e01aba1f08ada173086
institution Kabale University
issn 2571-9408
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Heritage
spelling doaj-art-6143bcec33f04e01aba1f08ada1730862025-08-20T03:58:29ZengMDPI AGHeritage2571-94082025-06-018724310.3390/heritage8070243Cultural and Ekistic Heritage of Princes’ Islands: A Study on Halki and Its Enhancement Through Augmented RealityAnna Chatsiopoulou0Vasilis Dimitriadis1Maria Panakaki2Eleni G. Gavra3Nikolaos Liazos4Panagiotis D. Michailidis5Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies, University of Macedonia, Egnatia Str., 156, 54636 Thessaloniki, GreeceIndependent Researcher, 54636 Thessaloniki, GreeceDepartment of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies, University of Macedonia, Egnatia Str., 156, 54636 Thessaloniki, GreeceDepartment of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies, University of Macedonia, Egnatia Str., 156, 54636 Thessaloniki, GreeceDepartment of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies, University of Macedonia, Egnatia Str., 156, 54636 Thessaloniki, GreeceDepartment of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies, University of Macedonia, Egnatia Str., 156, 54636 Thessaloniki, GreeceThis study aims to photograph, design, and digitally document the surviving residential buildings on the island of Halki (Heybeliada), within the Princes’ Islands. This documentation focuses on the architectural, urban, and historical aspects of Halki, highlighting the significant material evidence of the Greek social and economic presence. It also examines the urban cultural heritage as depicted in Turkish literature of that period to understand how Turkish writers perceived and presented Halki, referencing the Princes’ Islands only for background context. The methodology includes the collection of material from residents through bibliographic and field research conducted on Halki. Based on these findings, a mobile augmented reality (AR) application was developed using the TaleBlazer platform, designed specifically for use on Halki. The application provides a virtual tour with multimedia-supported thematic layers of architectural and historical information. Its usability and learnability were evaluated using a questionnaire completed by students. The results showed high usability, user satisfaction, and perceived value of learning, with the majority of results close to a median score of 4 out of 5. The students identified the occurrence of immersive experience, ease of use, and the emotional stimulation created by the integration of spatial storytelling and multimedia. This paper also shows how the convergence of cultural content (history, architecture, and literature) can enhance interpretations and experiences with mobile AR technologies.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/8/7/243cultural heritageAR applicationHalki/HeybeliadaEkistics
spellingShingle Anna Chatsiopoulou
Vasilis Dimitriadis
Maria Panakaki
Eleni G. Gavra
Nikolaos Liazos
Panagiotis D. Michailidis
Cultural and Ekistic Heritage of Princes’ Islands: A Study on Halki and Its Enhancement Through Augmented Reality
Heritage
cultural heritage
AR application
Halki/Heybeliada
Ekistics
title Cultural and Ekistic Heritage of Princes’ Islands: A Study on Halki and Its Enhancement Through Augmented Reality
title_full Cultural and Ekistic Heritage of Princes’ Islands: A Study on Halki and Its Enhancement Through Augmented Reality
title_fullStr Cultural and Ekistic Heritage of Princes’ Islands: A Study on Halki and Its Enhancement Through Augmented Reality
title_full_unstemmed Cultural and Ekistic Heritage of Princes’ Islands: A Study on Halki and Its Enhancement Through Augmented Reality
title_short Cultural and Ekistic Heritage of Princes’ Islands: A Study on Halki and Its Enhancement Through Augmented Reality
title_sort cultural and ekistic heritage of princes islands a study on halki and its enhancement through augmented reality
topic cultural heritage
AR application
Halki/Heybeliada
Ekistics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/8/7/243
work_keys_str_mv AT annachatsiopoulou culturalandekisticheritageofprincesislandsastudyonhalkianditsenhancementthroughaugmentedreality
AT vasilisdimitriadis culturalandekisticheritageofprincesislandsastudyonhalkianditsenhancementthroughaugmentedreality
AT mariapanakaki culturalandekisticheritageofprincesislandsastudyonhalkianditsenhancementthroughaugmentedreality
AT eleniggavra culturalandekisticheritageofprincesislandsastudyonhalkianditsenhancementthroughaugmentedreality
AT nikolaosliazos culturalandekisticheritageofprincesislandsastudyonhalkianditsenhancementthroughaugmentedreality
AT panagiotisdmichailidis culturalandekisticheritageofprincesislandsastudyonhalkianditsenhancementthroughaugmentedreality