Repository of DUTH

The changes in the urban habits of the non-Muslim populations of Constantinople as a factor in the remodeling of the structured urban landscape of the Ottoman capital in the late 19th century (Master thesis)

Τσαπάνης, Χρήστος/ Tsapanis, Christos

This paper attempts to examine the way the change of urban habits of non-Muslim population in Istanbul, acts as a re-modeling factor regarding the urban landscape of the district of Pera / Beyoğlu, the most emblematic area of the Ottoman capital at the end of the 19th century. Initially, the historical conditions are presented, under which Ottoman governments attempt to halt the decline of Ottoman Empire, aiming to Europeanise / westernise the military and administrative state structures which are geographically concentrated in the Pera district due to the favorable economic conditions and the social and population characteristics of the area. Afterwards, the developments regarding the urban planning and architecture of the area are described, as part of Istanbul’s urban and architectural history from the first urban settlement until 19th century. Also, the basic elements of non-Muslim communities established in Beyoğlu region during the period mentioned above are analyzed, which are characterized by an astonishing variety of ethnic and geographical origins, linguistic expressions and legal status. Finally, the places of religious and secular activities the specific population group erected at the end of 19th century are recorded, redefining and reshaping the part of the urban area where they live and work, introducing new concepts regarding the urban planning and the architecture of the city. Thus, Pera / Beyoğlu district has been transformed into a unique European influenced urban area, whose inhabitants, without losing their ethnic and religious identity, experience the cosmopolitan character of the Ottoman capital during the last decades of the 19th century.