The Emergence of Modern Istanbul: Transformation and Modernisation of a City

(Paperback)

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In its transition from 18th century capital of the Ottoman Empire to economic powerhouse of the Turkish Republic, Istanbul has been altered beyond recognition. This intricate and original account charts the urban transformation of an iconic and hybrid city and, through this, delves into the broader arena of Turkey's history. After the establishment of the Republic, Turkey increasingly turned to the West for ideas about how to develop a modern culture, and Istanbul became a forum for different regimes to display their political, ideological and social policies in the context of the built environment. Murat Gul traces the impact of these changing policies on the very fabric of the city itself - its streets, buildings and landscapes - to present a compelling account of the dramatic changes to Turkey's most important metropolis.

Reviews

'Gul has done a big service by making Istanbul's modern urban history accessible to a wide international and interdisciplinary audience.' Sibel Bozdogan, Lecturer in Architectural History, Harvard University and Professor of Architecture, Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey 'Murat Gul locates the...development of [Istanbul] in a clearly articulated description of the complex and intricate socio-political history of Turkey. Relying heavily on previously untapped archival sources, this book presents a fascinating and highly readable account of the physical development of the city as shaped by individual laissez-faire decisions and the planning, urban design and architectural ideas and schemes that were developed as different political leaders strove to create a modernised city.' Jon Lang, Professor Emeritus of Architecture, University of New South Wales 'Gul's book is a tremendously interesting read, synthesizing both original archival material with a range of other sources to present the first thorough exploration of the transformation of Istanbul... Judicial in its assessment of the most influential urban redevelopment in Istanbul's long history of piecemeal spatial reform, the book also gives readers a wealth of fascinating details about the history of urban planning failure in Turkey's most important metropolis.' Christopher Houston, Senior Lecturer in Anthropology, Macquarie University 'This book addresses an important and significant gap in the literature of the urban history of Istanbul; it is greatly needed, and Dr Gul's book fills the void in a scholarly and highly readable manner. This book will not only appeal to architectural and urban historians, but also to a wider readership with an interest in modern Turkey.' Trevor Howells, Director of Heritage Conservation Program, University of Sydney ' This is a timely work on the history of Istanbul's modernisation as the city has been declared the cultural capital of Europe for 2010. It tells the story of the dramatic transformation of the city's urban form that took place in the early post-World War II years under Prime Minister Menderes' Democratic Party government - a much disputed and controversial period of Turkish history. ... [T]he book makes a very important contribution to understanding Istanbul's architectural and planning history.' John Dee, Senior Lecturer in Architecture Program, International University of Sarajevo

Author Bio

Murat Gul is an architectural and urban historian, and is currently Associate Professor of Architecture at TOBB University of Economics and Technology in Ankara, Turkey. He has taught at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Istanbul, Turkey, the University of Sydney, Australia, and the International University of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. He has extensive experience in the fields of urban planning and heritage conservation and has worked for various government agencies in Australia.