THE SOCİO-SPATIAL TRANSFORMATION OF BEYAZIT SQUARE A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES OF İSTANBUL ŞEHİR UNIVERSITY BY BÜŞRA PARÇA KÜÇÜKGÖZ IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN SOCIOLOGY FEBRUARY 2018 ABSTRACT THE SOCIO-SPATIAL TRANSFORMATION OF BEYAZIT SQUARE Küçükgöz Parça, Büşra. MA in Sociology Thesis Advisor: Assoc. Prof. Eda Ünlü Yücesoy February 2018, 136 Pages In this study, I elaborated formation and transformation of the Beyazıt Square witnessed in modernization process of Turkey. Throughout the research, I examine thematically the impacts of socio-political breaks the on shaping of Beyazıt Square since the 19th century. According to Lefebvre's theory of the spatial triad, which is conceptualized as perceived space, conceived space and lived space, I focus on how Beyazıt Square is imagined and reproduced and how it corresponds to unclear everyday life. I also discuss the creation of ideal public space and society as connected with the arrangement of Beyazit Square. In this thesis, I tried to discuss the Beyazıt Square which has a significant place in social history in the light of an image of “ideal public space or square". Keywords: Beyazıt Square, Public Space, Conceived Space, Lived Space, Lefebvre, Production of Space. iv ÖZ BEYAZIT MEYDANI’NIN SOSYO-MEKANSAL DÖNÜŞÜMÜ Küçükgöz Parça, Büşra. Sosyoloji Yüksek Lisans Programı Tez Danışmanı: Doç. Dr. Eda Ünlü Yücesoy Şubat 2018, 136 Sayfa Bu çalışmada, Türkiye'nin modernleşme sürecine tanıklık eden Beyazıt Meydanı'nın oluşum ve dönüşümünü araştırdım. Araştırma boyunca özellikle sosyo-politik kırılmaların Beyazıt Meydanı'nın şekillenmesinde ne tür etkiler yarattığını 19. yüzyıldan bugüne tematik olarak inceliyorum. Lefebvre’in algılanan mekan, tasarlanan mekan ve yaşanan mekan olarak kavramsallaştırdığı mekan teorisine göre, Beyazıt Meydanı’nın nasıl tahayyül edildiği, yeniden üretildiği ve gündelik hayatta nasıl karşılık bulduğuna odaklanıyorum. Ayrıca Beyazıt Meydanı'nın düzenlenmesiyle bağlantılı olarak ideal kamusal alan ve toplumun oluşumunu tartıştım. Bu tezde sosyal tarihte önemli yeri olan Beyazıt Meydanı'nı “ideal kamusal alan ya da meydan” imgesi ışığında tartışmaya çalıştım. Anahtar Kelimeler: Beyazıt Meydanı, Kamusal Mekan, Tasarlanan Mekan, Yaşanılan Mekan, Mekanın Üretimi. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly, I would like to express my sincere thankfulness to my thesis advisor Assoc. Prof. Eda Ünlü Yücesoy. From the beginning of the thesis, she was very helpful, supportive, understanding. Even if I lost my motivation many times, she always encouraged me. I really benefited from her guidance and feedbacks in detail. I also would like to thank Assoc. Prof. Alim Arlı and Assist. Prof. Halil İbrahim Düzenli for accepting to be thesis juries in my defense. Their precious comments made me notice important deficiencies of thesis. I am grateful all the academics in Sociology Department in İstanbul Şehir University for giving me a critical perspective in Social Sciences. They always behaved friendly and helpful. I am also thankful my friends from Şehir University who always backed and motivated me. Especially, I would like to thank Leyla Dede, İlknur Kaplan, Ferzan Aşık, Hüsna Zülfikar, Burcu Sağlam, Ayşe Berre Karaman and Serra Koçak. I owe gratitudes my dear friends Betül Erken, Handenur Adıyaman, Şeyma Karaketir who never left me alone in my hard times. I am thankful Mehmet Kara for his support, precious contribution and brotherhood. I am so grateful to Jeff Turner, Onur and Uğur, and Talha Üstündağ who helped me for revising and editing of my thesis. I am deeply thankful my family for their all supports. Especially, my mother Hatice Parça who has unlimited loving, patience and understanding. This thesis would not finish if she had not supported me. Lastly, I am sincerely grateful my dear husband Mehmet Küçükgöz for his patience, understanding and love. He always supported me. I would like to thank you for the new starts. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................... iv Öz ............................................................................................................................. v Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. vi List of Tables ............................................................................................................ ix List of Figures ............................................................................................................ x List of Maps ........................................................................................................... xiii CHAPTERS 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Limits of the Research .................................................................................. 4 1.2. Personal Motivation ..................................................................................... 4 1.3. Methodological Considerations .................................................................... 5 1.4. Content of the Study..................................................................................... 6 2. Introducing Beyazit Square ................................................................................... 8 2.1. The Boundaries of Beyazıt Square ................................................................. 8 2.2. Roman Period ............................................................................................. 10 2.3. The Classical Age of the Ottoman Empire ................................................... 10 2.4. Beyazıt Square in the Modern Period.......................................................... 14 2.5. The Political History of Beyazıt Square ........................................................ 18 3. Theoretical Framework ....................................................................................... 21 3.1. Theoretical Debates on the Public, Public Space, and Public Sphere ........... 21 3.2. Lefebvre's Consideration of Space .............................................................. 24 3.2.1. Conceived Space (Representations of Space) ....................................... 25 3.2.2. Perceived Space (Spatial Practices)....................................................... 25 3.2.3. Lived Space (Representational Space) .................................................. 26 3.3. The Space of Everyday Life.......................................................................... 27 4. Imagination of the Square ................................................................................... 29 4.1. The Changes on Beyazıt Square in the Late Ottoman Period ....................... 30 4.1.1. Abolishment of the Janissaries ............................................................. 31 4.1.2. Kasr-ı Hümâyûn .................................................................................... 33 4.1.3. The Exterior Courtyard of the Bayezid Mosque .................................... 35 vii 4.1.4. Fires in Ottoman İstanbul ..................................................................... 40 4.1.5. The Beyazıt Tower ................................................................................ 41 4.1.6. The Main Gate of Bab-ı Seraskeri ......................................................... 45 4.1.7. The Harbiye Nezâreti and New Gate of Seraskeriye .............................. 46 4.1.8. Administrative Buildings and Mansions of Beyazıt Square .................... 50 4.1.9. Changes on the Square in Sultan Abdülhamid II Period (1876-1909) .... 54 4.2. The Changes on Beyazıt Square in the Republican Period ........................... 56 4.2.1. İstanbul University ............................................................................... 57 4.2.2. The Haydar Bey Pond ........................................................................... 59 4.2.3. Bayezid Bath (Çifte Hamam) ................................................................. 63 4.2.4. Bayezid Madrasah (Havuzlu Medrese).................................................. 67 4.3. The “First Conquest” on Public Improvements from 1930s to 1950s ........... 70 5. The Lost Space: Beyazit Square ........................................................................... 76 5.1. The Development of Istanbul in the Multi-Party Government..................... 76 5.2. The Menderes Operations and Expropriation Works .................................. 80 5.2.1. Changes on Beyazıt Square in the Menderes Period. ............................ 81 5.2.2. Demolishment of the Coffeehouses Surrounding Beyazıt Square ......... 88 5.3. Design as a Solution in Media ...................................................................... 89 5.4. The military Coup in 1960 and Hürriyet Square ........................................... 90 5.5. Design of Beyazıt Square by Turgut Cansever ............................................. 93 5.5.1. Criticisms about Beyazıt Square project of Turgut Cansever ............... 100 5.6. Beyazıt Square in 1980s .............................................................................105 5.7. Reorganization of Beyazıt Square in 2013 ..................................................109 5.8. Criticisms on the Last Project .....................................................................114 6. Conclusion