- ... THE CHANGE ANALYSIS OF THE GREEN SPACES OF HISTORICAL PENINSULA C - -•· ··- -- ' --- --- iN 1STANBUL-TURKEY ' ... -- -- ' 1 Nilufer KART AKTAS PbD. Assistant Professor lstanbul University, Faculty of Forestry Department of Landscape Planning and Design Abstract Historical Peninsula, having a 2700 year historical background, serving a capital city of three empires, having a strategic position to present, offering unique natural beauties, architectural and archeological values and silhouette, was declared as a protected area in 1995. Until today the area has been planned several times, however none of them addressed crucial issues of the city and caused conversion of historical downtown to suburban areas, which is considered as a common problems of historical cities. Then, the Historical Peninsula, through both social and physical changes, has experienced entity alteration identity permutation and stili it changes. The purpose of this study is to investigate, the spatial formation of Historical Peninsula from past to present through literature review and visual materials (like map, photograph, ete); establishment of green spaces shaped from past to present with social structure; and alterations of those spaces formed by political decisions and planning rules, physical and social conditions, by using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. To conduct the study, several maps ofthe referred peninsula, prepared in different dates and time periods, are selected by considering their time period, resolution and appearances and then the aspects and size of the green spaces have been specified. As a result of study, functional and spatial changes of green areas in Historical Peninsula were studied in historical process. Keywords: Urban landscape, urbanization, change analysis, green spaces, Historical Peninsula 1. Introduction The function of cities, in generaL has changed and developed rapidly, in time, ali around the world, depending upon the various factors. The cities also spread through the huge amount of areas and as a result of these changes, they have begun to have different identities, in terms of history and politics. The political, pyhsical and technological changes have resulted in the destroying of the textures of the cities. This is, mostly, because of the change of the values on the peoples' appearing itself, in a different form and the new demands by the peoples. Consequently, because of ali these factors, the areas, in the big cities, have become the collapsed areas. The transformation process has appeared and stili appears itself in the city of Istanbul too, as it has appeared itself in the other developed cities around the world. The city of Istanbul has attracted huge amounts of people from Anatolian part of the country to itself as immigrant workers. As a result, this has caused bad urbanization in the city and its population rose from 1,000,000 to 9,000,000 in a very short time. it has become a huge metropol city today. Ultimately, the city of Istanbul has passed through a stage of huge change and development architecturely in the last twenty years (Ergun, 2003). Asa result, we see and face a different architectural structure in the city, on Historical Peninsula, Istanbul. The ultimate structure of the city has appeared itself as being full of minor scaled commercial shops and manufacturing workshops, which have been integrated somehow with the historical environment around them. This different feature of the city makes it uncommon and unique among alt the other big cities. The so-called central inner region of Istanbul, which was separated from the outer parts of the city by a great wall is the old, historical, culturally valuable and main part of the city. in other words, it is called the Historical Peninsula. But, due to bad urbanization, which has occurred in an uncontrollable way so far, this central part ofthe historical city faces some serious problems both structurely and architecturally. After having been passed through big changes, from time to time, physically, politically, culturally, it is possible, now, for this region to collapse easily against a serious earthquake. The social and cultural low level structure of the people of the city has caused dramatic and unwanted physical changes to the city, too. Because of the high demand from the people of the city for buying lots and parcels in the city has resulted in a leap in the price value of the parcels, lots, houses and buildings, in general. Due to high prices of the lots suitable for construction of buildings, especially in the central part of the city has caused a serious difficulty in sites to be built as green and recreational areas, so there are rare recreational and green areas in the city now. Both, in ancient times, and to the near past, Istanbul was the city, which was full of vegetable gardens, fields for and the ethnic minorities from different origins, living peacefully, besides it was a centre for trade, transport, the administration of the country. Unfortunately, there is no enough empty areas for greening the city anymore. By the way, the worst of ali is that the existing green and recreational areas, in the city, is of poor quality simply. 2. Material Historical Peninsula is densely populated region in working life and also at the same time has the most important historical opuses in Istanbul. Haghia Sophia Mosque, Blue Mosque, Palace, Süleymaniye Mosque, Hippodrome, Sultanahmet Square, the world famous Covered Bazaar, Complex, Museum of Basilica Cistern, Mosaics Museum, Kariye (Chora) Museum, Archaeological Museum and lots of others are located in this peninsula. Also Historical Peninsula is the centre of the government. Govemorship of Istanbul, lots of offices of tax administration are in this peninsula. Many faculties oflstanbul University, important libraries, hospitals are in Historical Peninsula. Also this region has the most important archaeological values of Istanbul. The total area ofHistorical Peninsula is 1562 hectare. 2.1. Historical Perspective of Historical Peninsula Historical Peninsula, having 2700 year historical background and serving a capital city of three empires can be introduced in 5 period. 1. Grek Period 2.East Rome Period 3 .East Rome-Byzantine Period 4. Ottoman Period 5 .Republic Period 2.2. lntroduction of Study Area and its Environment in this section, location, topography, archaeological situation, cultural situation and visual situation are investigated. 2.2.1. Locatioo . Historical Peninsula has a geographical location limited in the north Haliç, in the south Marmara Sea, in the west land walls, spread out to the east (Figure 1). Figure Location of Historical Peninsula 2.2.2. Topography The landscape of the city has played an important role, in terms of the development of the city architecturally so far. As an old and historical city built on the seven hills, it has a unique feature with its monuments, historical and modem buildings. After alL the different features ofthe city serve to create an impressive silhouette, somehow (Anonymus, 2004). 2.2.3. Archaeological Situation The Historical Peninsula of the city hides precious values in its underground from the past archeologically. Because of this, the Historical Peninsula, spreading through and including the provinces of Eminönü and Fatih, is under protection by law and it has been declared as historic sites by the regulation, taken by the First Council for the Protection of the Cultural and the Natura! properties in IstanbuL dated 12/07/1995, numbered 6848 (Anonymus, 2004). The city, as the capital city for both Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire, then, becoming one of the most important cities of the modem Republic of Turkey, successively, has had many inhabitants and buildings on it, so far. However, the architectural structure of the city makes it impossible for doing secure archeological excavations. As a result of this awkward situation, the information related to the architectural history of the city can only be obtained from the ancient manuscripts and some other antique records (Tekin, 1996). By saying the core of the city, or, in other words, the centre of Byzantium it was meant the region where the Topkapi Palace and the Hagia Sophia built on, today. The area on which the Topkapi Palace built was the acropolis of the city. There were some temples in the acropolis. it was known that there were two or three seaports in the Golden Hom at the time. in some ancient records, it was reported that there was an agora, which hada statue ofHelios on it, encompassed by four galleries supported by four columns. The Greek historian Ksenophon told about the presence of a large square called Thrarion. On the north of this square there was an area called Strategion where lived the most important men of the city. Besides, it was told about the presence of some gynasiums and cisterns. In the Roman Empire period, the city was not bounded by Sarayburnu region only and it spread out of its borders. lt is known that a viaduct built for carrying water to the city was made in the reign of the emperor Hadrianus between the years 117-138 A.D. In the meantime, building of the hypodrome of the city was begun in the reign of the emperor Constantinus between the years 306-337 A.D. There was a theatre building, in the city, which was built in the reign of the emperor Septimus Severus. The most important building structures as baths called Akhilleus was the one near the Strategion. But, these structures, so far, we have mentioned in this article, were totally destroyed and there are not nearly any remnants today (Tekin, 1996). In the Roman Empire period, the city was not bounded by Sarayburnu region only and it spread out of its borders. It is known that a viaduct built for carrying water to the city was made in the reign of the emperor Hadrianus between the years 117-13 8 A.