What to do with this imperial inheritance?

New uses of iconic buildings of the

Ottoman Empire in the city of Istanbul between 1923-2020

Territorial conquests and subsequent colonization processes have explained the emergence
of different societies throughout the hemisphere and throughout the history of humanity. The
empire was presented as a figure of domination of some over others, broadly speaking it
consisted of military occupation and an imposition of one people on another, of which the
latter territory would become part of the former, which would be the center of administration
of the other territories.

Different empires have established themselves not only in their immediate surroundings but
also in other continents. It is worth clarifying that this expansion was not only in territorial
terms, but also in political, economic, religious and cultural terms. Some of the most
representative examples worldwide were the Carolingian, Byzantine, Mongol, Carthaginian,
Chinese, Japanese, Egyptian, Russian, Persian Empire, among others. Centuries later, some
countries, especially European ones, that had financial and transportation means,
implemented colonization over long distances, such as Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal,
Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium, reaching previously unexplored territories, such as
America. , Africa and Oceania, where they ruled for long periods of time, from the 15th
century onwards, and in some cases until the 20th century, thus reconfiguring the hemisphere
in geographical and political terms.

One of the last empires to disintegrate and to develop widely was the Ottoman Empire, which
extended geographically from the Balkan area in Europe, through the smaller part of Asia, to
North Africa, for 600 years (1299 AD). and 1922), they faced different invasion attempts and
successfully annexed territories, the geographical location of this empire was strategic and
special since it connected the West and the East.

However, at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the empire
would come to an end for several reasons, among which we can highlight: 1. The nationalist
movement, which emerged in the world after the industrial revolution and the French
Revolution, which It affected the Ottoman states greatly, since the borders of the empire were
very large and each state linked to the empire yearned for its own independence, so they
cooperated with other states opposed to it. 2. During the later periods of the Ottoman Empire,
he was drawn into pleasure and enjoyment. The last sultans of the Empire were quite peculiar
and accelerated its fall, thanks to their incompetent and outdated forms of government,
prioritizing banal affairs and leisure, thus increasing poverty levels. 3. Since the sultans could
not renounce the throne, they signed many economic capitulations and treaties in which they
gave up different territories to protect the throne and their capital. The Ottoman Empire, in
its later periods, was unable to properly carry out its commercial operations and had no say
over its own waters; 4. His army was losing strength and structure; and 5. Finally, he made
the mistake of allying himself with Germany in World War I, which he lost and led to the
occupation of Constantinople.

These events led to the signing of the Treaty of Sevres, which announced the abolition of the
sultanate and the partition and definitive concession of more territories of the empire.
However, the Turkish national movement, which at that time was already widely accepted,
promoted the war of independence against several countries that hoped to divide the territory
such as Greece, Armenia, Italy, France and Great Britain. Under the leadership of Kemal
Ataturk, the independentists were victorious and the Republic of Turkey was established with
the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne, which delimited the country's new borders.

In the new republic, the need arose to establish in the collective imagination a new identity
that would differentiate them from the past, and from “the others.” A firm Turkish identity
This is how the recent government implemented several measures in each of the areas for the
consolidation and proper functioning of the new nation closest to the postulates of
modernization practiced in the West. The main reforms applied were: 1. Abolition of the
sultanate and the caliphate, 2. Reform and secularization of national education, 3.
Emancipation of women 4. The adoption of the new Turkish alphabet, 5. Secularization of
Law 6. Economic reforms.1

1
Ataturk Research Center 75 years of the Republic of Türkiye. A liberator and a brilliant modernist, Kemal
Ataturk, Ankara 1998
This caused the recent republic to experience a process of transition and accommodation that
entailed changes in the medium and long term. This is because the Ottoman Empire, which
had been quite solvent in economic terms and which had led the entire Turkish territory for
so long, had established an ancient dynamic, in each and every one of the areas of life in the
country, one of The first and therefore most everyday was the organization of space, the
Ottomans introduced drastic changes in the urban landscape, a first example of which was
the conversion of churches to mosques, to which soup kitchens, theological schools,
orphanages, hospitals would be added. , parks, public baths, libraries, mausoleums and
accommodation sites around them, which made them become spaces with a central character
in urban life, both for locals and visitors, it was a way of making the conquest of space visible.
According to some observations, these Ottoman constructions were of an ostentatious nature:

…These constructions for public and charitable purposes never had a simple architecture that
did not clash with the humility of their function, on the contrary, they were extensive and
grandiose constructions in terms of their architecture and decoration. The purpose of the
constructions was to simultaneously show charity and concern for the people and the most
humble, but at the same time, intimidate them with the greatness of the construction, as a
sign of their political and economic power...2

Next and in that same line of work, the Ottoman Empire would later order the construction
of new mosques, palaces, mansions, fountains, monuments, gardens, bazaars, terminals,
among others, which would stand out for their beauty, and which were designed by famous
architects. like Mimar Sinan and his disciples who would fulfill the wishes of the different
sultans and members of the empire. The buildings of the time projected a great lifestyle
worthy of the sultans and Constantinople, not only as the scene of power, administration and
negotiation of the empire, but also as that of a life in which luxury, aesthetics, and refinement
were very important values.

Already in the 20th century, during the first period of the Republic (1923-1945), in urban
terms there was a significant change directed by the national government which primarily
promoted the construction of different factories and railways, in this period also He worked

2
Fadi Sawah Ottoman Islamic Architecture and Urbanization in Western Europe ∗ Studies in Medieval
Heritage, Culture and Sciences, 19 (2017), pp. 1367
under the recommendations of Henri Prost's Master Plan (1936-1951) which was mainly
focused on connecting the European and Asian sides of the city through bridges.

With respect to housing, these would be developed in a fragmented and disjointed manner,
while due to the multiple and ancient iconic buildings of the IO since 1925, the government
created the Directorate of National Palaces, as the entity in charge of protecting and managing
all the palaces built by the IO. However, many of the buildings disappeared for various
reasons, including earthquakes, fires and demolitions authorized for urban planning
purposes. Those that survived had modifications aimed at a new use or disuse given that the
majority were built under the Waqf system, which does not grant ownership to individuals
3
and therefore would pass into the hands of each of the different administrations, as spaces
available for different activities initially those derived from the recently proposed reforms,
one of the most visible examples was regarding secular education, that is, buildings that were
assigned as headquarters of public and private schools, universities; Likewise, the madrassas
that were former theological schools would be closed or carry out other charitable activities.

After falling under the siege of different occupation troops and being one of the main and
tense scenarios during the War of Independence, to which was added the proclamation of
Ankara as the new capital of the country, Istanbul would experience a serious structural
deterioration that It would become even more acute with the arrival of migrants from the
countryside and other nearby countries in search of employment, education and housing. This
is how the city expanded geographically, absorbing small and nearby districts, but at the same
time increasing poverty levels and the emergence of new urban problems.

Observations by scholars of the subject have stated that in this context the buildings and
monuments lost any importance, that past rich in cultural terms and that beauty of the
constructions, went unnoticed, was belittled and that even some buildings, such as the old
walls of the The city suffered assaults by residents who urgently needed materials for their
own constructions, and some domes of the mosques were looted, to name a few examples.
4
With this, the city still had to go a long way towards modernization, and on the contrary

3
Salgado Ávila, Eduardo Rafael. (2021). The political instrumentalization of the awqaf in the Ottoman
Empire. History and graphics, (56),
4
Orhan Pamuk Istanbul. City and memories. RANDOM HOUSE. Dec 2011, pp 122-124
acquired an image or a label of poverty, old age and neglect. However, given its traditional
hierarchy, sometime later Istanbul would regain its financial, commercial and cultural
importance between 1980 and 1990, thanks to the opening of the country to international
capital, the city was able to work on the consolidation of a modern urban structure, a good
transportation network and thus the iconic constructions became the constant in the
landscape.5

Returning to the topic of the proposal, in this globalized context there are still iconic buildings
of the IO, many are part of the historic center of the city, function as museums, and others
have been incorporated back into the urban dynamics such as water fountains. and the
cobbled streets and hills, but others, given their size and location, have been used for
educational and cultural activities of inhabitants and foreign visitors. Some examples initially
detected are the Hagia Sophia Mosque, a former museum, the Bilgi Uneversity, a former
power plant in Silahtaraga or Instambul University, former headquarters of the Ministry of
War, or Gálata Saray school and university , former Feriye Palace, ITU Istanbul Technical
University, former Taskim building and military barracks, Rumelihisari Castle , former
customs checkpoint and current popular museum open to the public, the football field of the
Besiktas sports club, the former Ciragan Palace, the campus of the Yildiz Technical
University and other institutions, the former Yildiz Palace which opened its doors as a
museum and from which factories have emerged. These new uses are clearly oriented to
different areas of development of life in large cities, but the question is whether their
historical value for the city and the world is promoted and extended there.

Justification

The proposal seeks to highlight that the historical value persists over time and is not
exclusively in the historic center, much of the city is crossed by the history of the IO. Istanbul
is one of the most famous cities for its historical and cultural heritage, however, the historical
approach to the iconic buildings of the IO that currently provide other services allows them
to be seen as living elements of a past that serve to exemplify the transition period of in a

5
Zeynep Kuban “The urban and architectural development of Istanbul in the 19th century. XX" Feb.2019
practical and tangible way both for people who unknowingly use them and for foreigners and
of course the academic community. This research seeks to show how the new uses of the old
iconic buildings of the IO have participated in the urban reconfiguration in the city, also
revealing the historical, political, socioeconomic and cultural changes in the current stable
society. The study period between 1923 and 2020 allows us to make differentiations and
emphasis on the ways of governing the country, the city, of building, prioritizing and
inhabiting a city considered by many as a historical cultural center of universal value and that
explains many issues of cultural transfer on different continents.

Research question

What have been the new uses assigned to the iconic buildings built in the Ottoman period in
the city of Istanbul between 1923-2020, as well as the motivations for these transformations?

General objective:

Identify and analyze the new uses assigned to iconic buildings of the Ottoman Empire in the
city of Istanbul, between 1923-2020 and also the sociopolitical context that dictated these
transformations.

Specific objectives

1. Identify iconic buildings of the Ottoman Empire in the city of Istanbul, between 1923-
2020.

2. Identify which were the iconic buildings that had changes in their structure and
functionality in the city of Istanbul, between 1923-2020.

3. Establish a timeline of the change in the uses of iconic buildings in relation to the national
and international context between 1923 and 2020.
Theoretical references

In the preparation of this proposal I have had an initial approach to the literature on the urban
development of the city, which is extensive especially in terms of art history, focused on
architectural and urban elements, delving into the Ottoman period. , or the experiences and
visions of different artists who participated in urban development, there are also works
focused on some monuments or specific places. However, I did not find a study that
addressed the causes of the current uses of iconic IO buildings, which have been not only
unnoticed, but varied and in some cases recent. That is, a work that works with a current
object and that makes a socio-economic and cultural historical retrospective that justifies it,
in this case as a large physical structure.

To develop this research, I initially propose three theoretical references that serve as the
framework for interpreting the research problem posed. A brief definition and questions are
presented to address the literature that must subsequently be reviewed.

1. Memory and identity: The new republic resorted to the creation of a new identity based on
the memories of the past. Where do we come from? Heirs of the Ottoman Empire, one of the
largest in world history, to explain and justify the present moment. Who are we? A new
nation Turkey is an independent country, and charting a route for the future Where are we
going? Towards progress and European standards. That is, an identity constructed in a
homogeneous manner from the State as a tool for transmitting values and ideals, seeking
unity at the national level and which was taught from primary education. However, since it
is a social and political construction that varies over time. Despite the strong identity inherited
in the principles of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the country has gone through a period of
multipartyism, two coups d'état, and a prolonged presidential term of Erogan, which allows
a new question: whether between 1923 and 2020 Does the Turkish identity survive based on
the past promoted through the new uses of IO buildings?

2. Geopolitical reconfigurations: Geopolitics has historically developed based on two key

purposes, the first consists of the expansion, domination, and spatial distribution of
territories, and the second is derived from the first and aims to configure nuclei in which all
areas of human activity function homogeneously. (Taylor, 1994) the reconfigurations have
the objective of giving a different use to the spaces and/or places oriented to different
interests, generally political, economic and cultural, therefore these interests are reorienting
the dynamics of the cities and marking the functioning of the cities. and with it its inhabitants,
homogenizes the design and management of spaces to meet international standards and not
in response to local needs, it also segregates the new problems that have arisen in large
metropolises. Do spatial reconfigurations by assigning new uses of buildings seek to preserve
IO memory?

3. Heritage City: Istanbul was the political, administrative, financial and cultural center for
millennia and one of the most important empires in the world. Without a doubt, it is a physical
space that constantly recounts historical periods of relevance to humanity, especially for
Europe, Asia and Africa. After Ankara was named the new capital of Turkey, Istanbul
declined and went through a difficult period. It was not until 1950 and 1960 that the city
began to develop new urban projects to improve it, but in the 1970s it received thousands of
migrants. and the number of inhabitants grows exponentially. In 1986, UNESCO declared
historical areas of Turkey, several of them located in Istanbul. In the 90s, growth continued
and in 2010 it was recognized as the European Capital of Culture. Currently, the city receives
thousands of tourists throughout the year interested in learning about the history of the
empires, the founding of Turkey, the religion, the ancient and current culture of a
transcontinental country that has elements of the East and the West and therefore becomes a
cultural heritage aimed at humanity. Does the national and local administration direct
conscious efforts through buildings and other resources to transmit historical and cultural
knowledge to its inhabitants and visitors?

Hypothesis

There are several interests in the new use of the iconic buildings of the IO, among them, 1.
The urgency and prevalence of the economic development of cities, 2. The need to
standardize at the European level, 3. The promotion of new uses of buildings iconic elements
of the IO as scenarios in which the national identity, culture and behavior of the inhabitants
are shaped through their use and disuse. 4. The preservation of universal historical memory
through the diversified use of these spaces.

It can be said that they all intermingle, but other questions also arise around: Is there a
hierarchy that superimposes one over the others? Are governments and citizens interested in
preserving the memory of world events that are of interest to humanity? My initial hypothesis
suggests that there have been exchanges of these interests according to the different moments
in the history of the Republic of Turkey 1923-2020, and in which other international actors
have participated and through different strategies seek to preserve it.

Phase I Improvement of the theoretical and methodological framework of the project:

The first step consists of refining the research project, reading and reviewing secondary
sources to delve deeper into two key topics: 1. The political and urban history of the 20th and
21st centuries, 2. Identify milestones and relationships in both areas that give context to the
study Finally, here you must also identify and select the iconic buildings of the IO that could
be selected as the objects of study.

Phase II Field work.

Conduct a bibliographic review to create a state of the art that directs the research in
conceptual terms. On the other hand, in terms of tools, there is no doubt that we intend to
work a lot with the documentary archive, which is a source that contains valuable empirical
information. In the first instance, I propose to carry out an inventory of IO buildings that
functioned between 1923 and 2020, in the historical archive, review in Turkish, English and
Spanish the architectural and urban planning works of national and international researchers,
which in turn contain more empirical sources, although working with empirical sources in
this case is a challenge, I must mention that there are currently historical archives, centers of
Ottoman studies, as well as several technological and digital tools that allow it.
Phase III Data analysis and writing.

Finally, all the information collected will be triangulated and analyzed to respond to each of
the proposed objectives and see if the proposed hypothesis is proven or refuted to proceed
with the writing of the final report.

Approach: My proposal seeks to contribute to contemporary History. The new uses of these
buildings make it a current and contributory work. This research aims to disseminate heritage,
through a study that develops from a perspective (political and urban history) the local history
of a city like Istanbul that today can reveal part of the world's memory from different
scenarios, since it still is available and that it is possible to make it more accessible both for
Istanbulites and the thousands of visitors who make use of it.
Bibliography

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the Ottoman Empire. History and graphics, (56), 347-365. Epub February 23, 2021.
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modernist, Kemal Ataturk, Ankara 1998

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