Optimizing Visibility of Historical Structures Using Modified Weighted Differential Evolution: Insights from the Kromni Valley, Gümüşhane, Türkiye

Abstract

It is very important for historical structures to see each other in order to reveal the historical and cultural identity of a region. Historical structures in the Kromni Valley of Gümüşhane, located near the Sümela Monastery, served as places of worship, communication, trade, and social activity centers during their period of active use. This study analyses the spatial relationships of 38 historic buildings, including churches, chapels and castles, whose 3D models are created by in-situ measurements and point clouds obtained by unmanned aerial vehicles, using a 3D viewshed analysis using geographic information systems and remote sensing data. The research introduces a modified weighted differential evolution-based viewshed analysis (mWDE-WS) to enhance the visibility of these structures. In order to assess the applicability of the proposed method, a statistical comparison was conducted between four different Differential Evolution (DE) algorithms (standard DE, LSHADE, CobiDE, JADE and WDE) and the mWDE. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicates that mWDE is a more effective solution than alternative methods for addressing the relevant real-world issues. The study also integrates drainage network analysis to assess flood risks and the relationship between cultural structures and water flow. Findings show that historical structures in the region were built not randomly but within a rational approach and 64% of the study area is visible from structures and 2% of the area is visible from ten or more structures. mWDE-WS analysis revealed that the visible area could increase by 20% to 84.37% if the historic structures were placed in optimal locations. In addition, the historical structures were built away from 3rd order streams to minimize flood risk and humidity, demonstrating the community's awareness of the local topography and hydrology. © Author(s) 2025.