Transformation of living quarters

The restoration of the Süleymaniye mosque is a part of the Capital of Culture programme in Istanbul. It is an outstanding monument of the Ottoman architecture and attracts a lot of visitors. The mosque, built in the 16th century, is an important landmark in Istanbul’s skyline. Around the mosque, there is an historic academic district which is not being restored, but torn down.

The district has been on the UNESCO list of world heritages since 1985, yet 15 percent of the picturesque Ottoman houses have already been demolished so far. Historic heritage doesn’t seem to have a value any more. The former residents had to move – so, another grown neighbourhood is lost. An area of 3 square kilometres is redeveloped.

One argument in favour of this redevelopment is that the wooden houses are subject to fire hazard. The new buildings consist of steel constructions, the fronts are to be rebuilt true to their originals.
Since a uniform design is planned, the district will look totally different – this affects about 700 houses.

The new buildings will be used as boutique hotels, the district is to be developed for tourism. For individualists, the small, luxurious houses certainly must seem attractive.

Victims of return

History is not considered – neither are the residents a part of the plan. They will hardly be able to buy those new hotels. Thus, even more residents will be driven away.

Monument protection is ignored. It is regarded an obstacle because the approval process could be dragging on for years. At least, a part of the district has been restored and maintained for the residents due to an initiative of museums and the ‚kudeb’. The results have already been honoured by the UNESCO.

If you take into consideration that about 3 million houses are scheduled to be demolished in Istanbul in the course of the next years (the new buildings are supposed to generate rent prices similar to those in Paris), it gets obvious that the destruction of history doesn’t play much of a role here. A large number of people will have to withdraw to the fringes of the city. Dark times ahead...

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