Research Information System
5th DARIAH HR International Conference: Digital Humanities & Heritage 2025, Osijek, Croatia, 22 - 24 October 2025, pp.56-57, (Summary Text)
The digital transformation of cultural heritage assets documented through traditional methods is critically important for the sustainable preservation and accessibility of geographically referenced resources. This study introduces an open-source, interactive web geographic information system (Web GIS) infrastructure developed for the digitisation of tombstones dating from the Ottoman and Early Republican periods. As a pilot application, historical tombstones located in the Hayrat district of Trabzon province were documented through field studies and visualised through a user-friendly interface. Within the scope of the study, spatial data of the tombstones were collected using GPS, along with photographs of the head and foot sections, dimensional measurements, and Ottoman Turkish inscriptions where available. These data were processed through custom Python scripts, and subsequently a three-layer Web GIS architecture was established consisting of a database, a map server, and a client interface. In the data layer, spatial data – including the location, images, texts, and classification attributes of each tombstone – are stored in a PostgreSQL/PostGIS-based spatial database. In the server layer, data querying, updating, and management processes are handled through API services developed using Python Flask. In the client layer, all tombstones are visualised with their locations on an interactive map using a user interface built with HTML, JavaScript, and Leaflet.js, offering functions such as filtering, detailed viewing, and data editing. Unlike conventional inventory approaches, the developed system provides a dynamic, modular, and extensible digital-heritage infrastructure. The tombstone data are presented not only in visual form but also in structured data formats, making them suitable for scholarly analysis. The system also incorporates user-generated data updates and administrator-validation mechanisms to ensure continuity and reliability. Through this Web GIS solution, cultural heritage data obtained from fieldwork have been consolidated into a unified, accessible, and sustainable digital platform, enabling the documentation, analysis, and public presentation of historical tombstones. The project outcomes are disseminated both through academic publications and the developed web interface. This model is expected to serve as an example for similar digital documentation processes across Anatolia and to promote the broader integration of Web GIS in the management of cultural heritage.