Bir Kültürel Miras Alanı Olarak Karaköy-Tophane Bölgesi’nin Sahip Olduğu Değerlerin İrdelenmesi

Abstract

Karaköy-Tophane Region is a prominent multilayered area with its urban cultural assets and various values it encompasses. Additionally, it is an important port district and the economic center of Istanbul since the early Byzantine period. This port district, where different religions, cultures and folklore have been welcomed throughout history, has always been an important economic and strategic region that differs from the traditional image of the Historic Peninsula. After the Fall of Constantinople, this architectural and cultural heritage had enriched with traditional Ottoman fabric and been tolerably well preserved until the early 19th century. Yet after the second half of this century, large-scale urban planning and zoning decisions had caused great damage especially on the Genoese urban fabric. However, again in this period, prominent symbolic structures of Ottoman Westernization and the multi-storey masonry blocks had been built in Western style. As cultural heritage components, they form the basis for a significant part of the value that the region encompasses today. On the other hand, nowadays an important part of this region is planned to be reorganized and refunctioned as a culture and tourism area. This context necessitates adopting a course of action that shapes the future of the region. Therefore, the values of this historical district that have left a deep imprint in urban memory need to be assesed within the scope of this paper. Last but not least, considering all the values that the site encompasses within a holistic perspective, its cultural significance should also be examined and presented as a basis for the decisions regarding the future of the area.