Sofia Qureshi 8th semester Assignment:Public spaces of Turkey Man and nature interacted and settlements developed in places

that later became cities. Therefore the quality of life of a city greatly depends on how a human experiences the city as an individual. A complete experience of the city does not necessarily involve going to all the important places but it involves experiencing it on feet where all the five senses come into play. In this case it becomes important as to how a city works both on an urban as well as human scale and this is what makes public architecture different from buildings. Turkey as a city is rich in culture and history and as one passes through the streets of various cities, the streets communicate their story to you. Therefore there is a lot of layering of old and new and many public spaces such as museums and restaurants work with the idea of recreating these historical experiences to give a better picture. There are some similar elements used in most of the cities such as Istanbul, Bursa and Izmir . Pedestrian movement is encouraged in all the cities of turkey and steps have been taken to facilitate this movement. There is a clear demarcation of pedestrian pathways and vehicular pathways. Even within the vehicular paths there is a separation between trams and the funicular due to the change in speed of traveling. These pathways are articulated by granite pavers, granite being a strong material can take the wear tear caused by constant traffic of both people and cars. A change of pattern in the pavement is also used as a technique in marking spaces rather than changing levels or building walls. What is a common sight on the streets of Turkey is the layering of functions starting from the tram being right in the centre of the street and as we move sideways towards the buildings, cafes and sitting spaces are followed by shops or bazaars and then come the buildings. Historical monuments are all used as markers where in an extremely dense shopping area, a historical sculpture is used to mark out a plaza space. This space not only acts as a breather in the dense urban fabric but it also gives people a viewing distance to experience the sculpture and becomes a stopping space or a point of gathering amidst movement. The historical element again adds flavor to the pedestrian experience. Mosques also become public spaces where the space outside the mosque was used for either commercial purpose in the form of bazaars or small cafes. Mosques are an integral part of Turkish architecture and therefore is has been integrated in the overall urban planning where they act as nodes. Culturally mosques are a place of gathering and therefore work well for the public plazas around.

The Galata bridge over the Bosphorous is a great example of the the kind of layering that we see in turkey especially in Istanbul where an old historical bridge is not only a means of connection between the Asian and the European side but it also is used by the fishermen to catch fish and as a recreational place. .Below the bridge is an entire food street where people come from all around the city to eat. The historical bridge houses modern day restaurants where one experiences the new through old. Water is an essential part of the citys culture and this bridge takes you down and as close as one can be to water. The food street looks onto the Bosphorous and the various sized sea vessels carrying people and goods from one point to another. Even the sight of how the city functions becomes an experience a passer by witnesses. Taksim square is one of the most important public places in Istanbul. It dates back to the time of Sultan Mahmud I .Located in the Asian side, Taksim square the main transportation hub and a popular destination for both tourists and the native population of Istanbul It includes a street that culminates into a square. The plaza is based on a circular geometry where the centre or the point of focus is again a historical sculpture. This open space acts as a point of gathering in the dense urban fabric .The geometry is such that when one sits in the plaza, one looks back at the sculpture which makes it a point of focus. It also works with the idea of looking back at time historically and the sculpture symbolizes the past. The historical street primarily includes modern day shops and restaurants. Here again the theme of combining old and new continues. Certain elements such as a tram that keeps passing by the avenue adds nostalgia to the entire experience as it is one of the oldest subway lines. The street encourages movement therefore we do not see any sitting spaces or restaurants that open out and have seating outside. On the other hand the plaza encourages stopping as oppose to movement. The circular geometry facilitates movement around the plaza and creates a centre which becomes a resting ground in all the movement. As we have discussed before that water is an important element in Turkeys geography, the water front has been celebrated in all the cities. Other than Istanbul, we see this both in Izmir and Cesme .The waterfront in both these cities includes a strip along the water with bazaars and cafes flanked on one side. What is interesting is that despite all the activity that is taking place at the waterfront it is not built. Small gestures such as paving and floor tiles create the demarcation. Fishermen use these places to catch fish. Under each street lamp, a bench is placed for people to sit. Cafes are placed at a slight distance from the benches. This isolates the sitting spaces from the cafes so that people who do not wish to be part of the noise and the hustle bustle of eating can sit in peace. Even the cafes that have placed their tables and chairs besides the road use small planters or menu boards as buffers between the traffic and the person eating.

However Cesme being a resort town was not developed as a city to be experienced on foot. The sensitivity that one sees in places like Bursa, Izmir and Istanbul seemed to be missing. Turkey as a city offers a rich pedestrian experience. The urban planners have shown a lot of sensitivity to the experience of person walking by. The rich history enhances the walk a tourist would take.