Galata and Pera 1 a Short History, Urban Development Architecture and Today
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ARI The Bulletin of the İstanbul Technical University VOLUME 55, NUMBER 1 Galata and Pera 1 A Short History, Urban Development Architecture and Today Afife Batur Faculty of Architecture, Istanbul Technical University, Taşkışla, 34437, Taksim, Istanbul, Turkey Keywords: Galata, Pera, Urban development, Architectural development The coastal band stretching from the to be more prominent starting from 10th northern shores of the Golden Horn until century onwards. The conditions that had Tophane and the slopes behing it have been created the Medieval Galata were being known as Galata since the 8th century. formed in these trading colonies. At first Formerly this area was known as Sycae Amalfi, then the Venetians and later the (Sykai), or as peran en Sykais, which Pisans had obtained special privileges from essentially means ‘on opposite shore’. the Byzantines. The Genovese, who had It is thought that Galata’s foundation established themselves on the southern preceded that of Constantinopolis. The shores of the Golden Horn as a result of archaeological finds here indicate that it their rights recognized by Emperor Manuel was an important settlement area in Comnenos I (1143-1186), were forced to Antiquity. Although its borders can not be move over to Pera on the opposite shore determined precisely, it is known that when the Venetians seized their territory during the reign of Emperor Constantin during the Latin invasion of 1204. (324 –337), it was a fortified settlement When the Latins departed from consisting of a forum, a theatre, a church, a Constantinople in 1261, the city was in harbor and bath buildings, as well as 431 complete ruins. And the economic relations large houses. The present fortification of the Byzantine capital were now walls were constructed by Emperor completely in the hands of the Venetians Justinian in 528. The 2 meter wide land and the Genovese merchants. Emperor walls surrounded by a 15 meter deep moat Michael Paleologos VIII (1261-1282), who were enclosing an area of 37 hectars. It is was able to recapture Constantinople from surmised that the renowned Castellion that the Latins, signed the Nymfaion Treaty with used to control the entry into the Golden the Genovese and permitted them to rebuild Horn was built by Emperor Tiberius I (578- their commercial loggia, their palazzo 582). comunale and other buildings of theirs. Among the trading colonies in the area, And they received consulate rights, as well that had acquired the commercial harbor as free trade privileges. When rival functions due to favorable topographical Venetians attacked the Genovese colony in conditions, the Italian presence had begun 1296, they wanted to renew their Afife Batur demolished fortification walls, but could not Empire, in return for their acceptance of the secure the necessary permission from the ownership of the region by the Ottoman Emperor, and had to be contented with a State. The Podesta had been replaced by a moat only. On the other hand, they were new administrator called Vaivode. It is well able to formalize their borders as a result of known that a large number of Western a decree dated 1303. As the Byzantine merchants ha settled at Galata following Empire grew weaker, however, the this conquest. The most important axis of Genovese took advantage of this situation to the region was the Voyvoda Avenue strengthen their position, and started to (today’s Bankalar Avenue), which extended build tower houses along this moat, parallel to the shore line and on which were connected them to each other with lined the administrative structures of the crenellated walls, thereby bringing the colony. Galata region to a ready state of defence, During the 16th century, Galata had and expanded their territory towards the become a triangular area opposite the environs of Azapkapı-Şişhane-Galata Historic Peninsula and surrounded by land Tower-Tophane. The Galata Tower was and sea walls. At the highest point was constructed in 1349. According to an situated the Galata Tower, while houses agreement, the colony came under the with religious buildings around them used responsibility of an administrator called to rise towards this center. Furthermore, podesta. The Podesta was considered, at there were walls within the area dividing it the same time, as the ambassador of Genoa into three sections. The environs of Galata at the court of the Byzantine Emperor. The were covered with vineyards and orchards. Podesta, in turn, was responsible towards a The well known engraving by city council of 24 elected members known Buondelmonte (Figure 1) describes the as ‘Magnifica Comunita di Pera’. general lines of this urban structure. The During the 14th century, Galata with its miniature painting of 16th century by the urban form and structures used to display its engraver Nasuh el Matraki, which describes period’s typical features as a Mediterranean Galata within its total environment, city. It had become an important part of the confirms this settlement pattern (Figure 2). city where commercial relations with the During this period, there were taverns, West were established and carried on, and shops and food stores along the shore, in this characteristic of the area had continued addition to the piers. It is recorded that the after the conquest, as well. population profile of Galata during the 16th It is known that the Genovese had century was composed of 35 % Turks, 39 % strengthened and elevated the height of the Greeks, 22 % Europeans, and 4 % fortifications and increased the number of Armenians. city gates in 1446, a few years prior to the In the 17th century Galata continued to siege of the city. However, following the develop within the walls, while the area conquest of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmet outside the fortifications had the II had demanded the removal of the upper countryside appearance. Some of the portion of the walls of Galata, and had neighborhoods of the region, which was signed an agreement with the Genovese systematically Turkified between the 16th recognizing their privileges which they had and the 18th centuries, were composed of obtained during the period of the Byzantine Turks only during the 17th century and, 2 Galata and Pera Figure 2. The miniature painting of Galata by Nasuh el Matraki in 16th century Whether at Galata, or at Pera, a settlement pattern consists of a main axis and of streets opening into it was th established. In the second half of the 19 century, three or four storey solid looking stone masonry mansions had started to replace the earlier timber structures, after many fires in succession. In spite of this, Figure 1. Engraving of Istanbul by first photographs dated to the middle of the Buondelmonte th 19 century show that Galata still preserved consequently, those areas gave the a particularly dense fabric of timber impression of a Turkish city (Figure 3, 4 buildings. In Pera, on the other hand, the and 5). This situation had continued until majority of the population was European. the middle of the 19th century. The masonry embassy buildings were Beyond the Galata walls, the Pera region, contributing to the region’s European image. which was composed of vineyards-orchards In spite of the resemblances in the and called as ‘Pera Vineyards’, had started settlement pattern, a different trend was to be built up gradually from the middle of observed from the point of view of social, the 18th century onwards. During the 19th cultural and architectural development. The century, on the other hand, an inclination urban pattern of 19th century Galata was had begun in Galata to extend towards the different from Pera. In the illustrations, the open areas beyond the walls. While the luxurious way of life, as well as the vacant areas had begun to be redeveloped splendid physical and social environment of by splendid structures led by the embassy Pera was contrasted with the various human buildings which lined around the main axis groups of every nationality frequenting the called Rue de Pera (today’s İstiklal Avenue), narrow streets full of tavern and cabarets in Galata had transformed into an area where Galata. Here resided a cosmopolitan increasingly the French, the English and the society least worried about its future. On Italian Industrialists and merchants begun to the contrary, Pera was an ‘aristocratic’ settle and all types of merchandise from settlement. During the 19th century, the these countries were unloaded, stored and foreigners, led by the notables of the sold. embassies, the Levantens and the minorities 3 Afife Batur Figure 3. A view of the region in 1830 Figure 4. The view of Galata Tower in 1830 Figure 5. General view of Beyoglu in 1830 in Pera region had led to the birth of an department stores especially with French elitist way of life, and particularly names and shopping centers like Bon contributed to its development during the Marche, where rich varieties of goods at the following century. The magnificent and same quality as in European cities were on grand hotels of the region had hosted sale. What is more, several of these stores numerous travelers each day. There was a were branch outlets of parent stores in post and telegraph office branch here. The Europe. At the same time printing houses, French and the Italian theatres were located offices of professionals like bankers and in the central area. It was possible to find lawyers, consulting rooms of doctors, and many a splendid coffee house and pastry pharmacies were situated at Galata and Pera, shop here. Besides these, there were as well. The magnificent mansions 4 Galata and Pera exhibiting the full luxuries of the wealthy changes have resulted mainly from Levantens and Greeks, Armenians and Jews rebuilding activities brought in under new that traditionally defined this environment order and planning directives on vacant were lined along the Rue de Pera, as well as plots created by frequent fires during these on the streets leading from it, contributing 50 years.