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Discussing Inclusivity of historic sites: Istanbul Historical Penninsula’

Conference Paper · July 2015

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Discussing inclusivity of historic sites: Istanbul Historical
Peninsula

ABSTRACT: All over the world, historical cities are being increasingly valued both by the
people who live there and the tourists who come to experience. The historical cities have a lot to
offer like the bridges, monuments, different materials, facades and ornaments, religious build-
ings, buildings specific to a culture or an era like a ‘hammam’ or a ‘kulliye’, surprising streets,
etc. These spaces do not only serve as proof of the history of a community, but also shape the
everyday life of the users in a positive or negative way. It is a very well-known fact that all the-
se historical assets have to be experienced more as tourist destinations to contribute to the city
itself, economically and culturally. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to these highly im-
portant places to experience. Being not accessible poses a great threat for economic and cultural
life of a city. Right at this point, one must realize that accessibility issues are not limited only to
‘people with disabilities’ but also it has to be inclusive for the children, the elderly, people with
different choices coming from different cultures and backgrounds. The purpose of this paper is
to discuss the challenges towards reaching to inclusive historic environments while not being
destructive with regard to conservation and provide examples from Istanbul’s Historical Penin-
sula which is currently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In order to construct the bal-
ance between accessibility and conservation requirements, taking initiative and being able to
find flexible and tailored solutions seem to be the major pivot. Historical Peninsula has various
kinds of challenges to inclusivity, like the topography of the site which brings steep grades and
the heavy traffic load along with the need for walkability and city furnishing in narrow streets.
Along with the strengths and the weaknesses, threats are analyzed to obtain the sustainability of
the solutions.

1 INTRODUCTION

All over the world, historical cities are being increasingly valued not only for the people who
live and work there but also for the tourists who come to experience the life in those cities. The
historical cities going back to many centuries from now have a lot to offer to the people who
experience them. The bridges, monuments, different material use, detailed facades and orna-
ments, religious and government buildings, buildings specific to a culture or an era like a
‘hammam’ or a ‘kulliye’, mostly narrow and surprising streets, etc. All of these spaces and
buildings do not only serve as the living proof of a historical background of a community, but
also shape the everyday life of the users whether in a positive or a negative way.
It is a very well-known fact that all these historical assets have to be experienced more as
tourist destinations to contribute to the city itself, economically and culturally. But it is also an-
other fact that not everyone has access to these highly important places to experience. Being not
able to access information, transportation, services and accommodation for everyone poses a
great threat for economic, cultural and social life of a city. Right at this point, one must also
keep in mind that accessibility issues are not limited only to ‘people with disabilities’ but also it
has to be inclusive for the children, the parents, the elderly, people with different choices com-
ing from different cultures and backgrounds.
 Making historical areas inclusive is also a good way of finding a solution to preserve those
areas, as accessing and being able to use those areas means caring and providing maintenance.
Historically, most buildings and landscapes were not designed to be readily accessible for
people with disabilities. In recent years, however, emphasis has been placed on preserving his-
torically significant properties, and on making these properties-and the activities within them-
more accessible to people with disabilities (Jester & Park, 1993). Also, with the acts about ac-
cessibility of public spaces all over the world, access to historical buildings and sites are now a
civil right in most countries.
However, providing accessibility in historic properties is a complex issue as accessibility and
historic preservation need to be well balanced. Making historic properties accessible, while pre-
serving their historical character is a challenge.
Historic properties are irreplaceable and require special care to ensure their preservation for
future generations. It is a challenge to evaluate properties thoroughly, to identify the applicable
accessibility requirements, to explore alternatives and to implement solutions that provide inde-
pendent access and are consistent with accepted historic preservation standards. Solutions for
accessibility should not destroy a property's significant materials, features and spaces, but
should increase accessibility as much as possible (Jester & Park, 1993). In order to construct the
balance between accessibility requirements and conservation requirements, taking initiative and
being able to find flexible and tailored solutions seem to be the major pivot.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the challenges to take action towards inclusive histor-
ic environments while not being destructive with regard to architectural conservation, improve
awareness and provide examples from Istanbul’s Historical Peninsula which is listed as
a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985 by World Heritage Committee.
Historical Peninsula, being a very interesting area both historically and geographically; con-
tains road, rail and seaway systems causing a major part of Istanbul’s weight of traffic to go
through the site. Historical Peninsula has various kinds of challenges to inclusivity, like the to-
pography of the site which brings steep grades and the heavy traffic load along with the need for
walkability and appropriate city furnishing in narrow streets. Along with the strengths and the
opportunities, the weaknesses have to be well analyzed to obtain the sustainability of the solu-
tions.

2 HISTORICAL PENINSULA: A WORLD HERITAGE SITE

2.1Location, Importance and Brief Description
Strategically located on the Bosphorus peninsula between the Balkans and Anatolia, the
Black Sea and the Mediterranean, Istanbul was successively the capital of the Eastern Roman
Empire, and the Ottoman Empire and has been associated with major events in political history,
religious history and art history for more than 2,000 years. Its masterpieces include the ancient
Hippodrome of Constantine, the 6th-century Hagia Sophia and the 16th-century Süleymaniye
Mosque, all now under threat from population pressure, industrial pollution and uncontrolled
urbanization (UNESCO, CLT, WHC, accessed 2015).
Recognized as unique architectural masterpieces of Byzantine and Ottoman periods, Hagia
Sophia, was designed by Anthemios of Tralles and Isidoros of Miletus in 532-537 and the
Suleymaniye Mosque complex was designed by architect Sinan in 1550-1557.
The city is situated on a peninsula which is surrounded by the Golden Horn (Halic), a natural
harbor on the north, the Bosphorus on the east and the Marmara Sea on the south. The Historic
Peninsula, on which the former Byzantium and Constantinople developed, was surrounded by
ancient walls, built initially by Theodosius in the early fifth century.
The Outstanding Universal Value of Istanbul resides in its unique integration of architectural
masterpieces that reflect the meeting of Europe and Asia over many centuries, and in its incom-
parable skyline formed by the creative genius of Byzantine and Ottoman architects. The distinc-
tive and characteristic skyline of Istanbul was built up over many centuries and encompasses
the Hagia Sophia whose vast dome reflects the architectural and decorative expertise of the 6th
century, the 15th century Fatih complex and Topkapi Palace - that was continually extended
until the 19th century, the Süleymaniye Mosque complex and Sehzade Mosque complex, works
of the chief architect Sinan, reflecting the climax of Ottoman architecture in the 16th century,
the 17th century Blue Mosque and the slender minarets of the New Mosque near the port com-
pleted in 1664. (UNESCO, accessed 2015)
The present World Heritage boundaries, as redefined in 1998-9 in collaboration with the
UNESCO WHC is given in Figure 1. The four core areas are (1) the Archaeological Park of
Sultanahmet, (2) Süleymaniye, (3) Zeyrek and (4) the Land Walls of Theodosius. The whole
Historic Peninsula was declared a protected area; the portion indicated in blue is Eminönü Mu-
nicipality and in red Fatih Municipality. The World Heritage property is defined by the Golden
Horn on the north, the Bosphorus on the east and the Sea of Marmara on the South, with no
buffer zone. The Galata and Unkapanı bridges link the Historic Peninsula to the ancient quarter
of Galata-Beyoğlu, which is the largest preserved historic district in the city (UNESCO. 2006).

Figure 1. World Heritage Historic Areas of Istanbul (UNESCO, 2006)

These areas display architectural achievements of successive imperial periods also including
the 17th century Blue Mosque, the Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Mosque, Şehzade Mosque complex,
Topkapi Palace, the hippodrome of Constantine, the aqueduct of Valens, the Justinian churches
of Hagia Sophia, St. Irene, Küçük Ayasofya Mosque, the Pantocrator Monastery; and many
other exceptional examples of various building types including baths, cisterns, and tombs.
(UNESCO, accessed 2015). The setting and distinctive skyline of the Historic Peninsula contin-
ues to express the Outstanding Universal Value of the property.
2.2The Legislation and Management of The Peninsula
The Historic Areas of Istanbul is legally protected through national conservation legislation.
The management structure for the protection and conservation of the properties includes the
shared responsibilities of national government (The Ministry of Culture and Tourism General
Directorate of Cultural Assets and Museums) local administration and several state institutions.
The approval of the Conservation Council has to be obtained for physical interventions and
functional changes in registered buildings and conservation sites.
Within the scope of UNESCO Guidelines; concepts like; ‘Area Management and Management
Planning’ find a place in the National Protection Legislation of Turkey. The authorization to
prepare management plans in urban historic areas has been given to Metropolitan Municipalities
in 2004.
The Site Management Directorate for Cultural and Natural Sites of Istanbul was established
within the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in 2006 to coordinate management planning pro-
cesses for World Heritage Sites. The work of the directorate is supported by an Advisory Board
and a Coordination and Supervising Board. A department was also structured under the Minis-
try of Culture and Tourism to coordinate the management issues of the World Heritage Sites in
Turkey and to collaborate with relevant authorities for the implementation of the ‘World Herit-
age Convention and the Operational Guidelines’. (UNESCO, accessed 2015).

3 ACCESSIBILITY IN HISTORICAL PENINSULA

3.1Accessibility in historic areas
Finding a balance between change and preservation is a delicate issue in the Historic Areas. The
Management Plan, addresses the traffic and transport plan for the city, the urban regeneration
strategy and tourism management Fig. 2). It also includes policies for accessibility, visitor man-
agement, policies for increasing the perception of the site and increasing the quality of daily life.

Figure 2. Transportation Network Analyses for Istanbul Historical Peninsula Site Management Plan
A three-step approach is recommended to identify and implement accessibility modifications
that will protect the integrity and historic character of historic properties: 1) Review the histori-
cal significance of the property and identify character-defining features; 2) Assess the property's
existing and required level of accessibility; and 3) Evaluate accessibility options within a
preservation context (Jester & Park, 1993).
Also, alternative methods of providing services, information, and experiences have to be
thought when physical access cannot be provided. It may mean offering an audio-visual pro-
gram showing an inaccessible upper floor of a historic house museum, providing interpretive
panels from a vista at an inaccessible terraced garden, or creating a tactile model of a historic
monument for people with visual impairments (Jester & Park, 1993).
An accessible route from a parking lot, sidewalk, and public street to the entrance of a histor-
ic building or facility is essential. An accessible route, to the maximum extent possible, should
be the circulation route used by the general public.
Whenever possible, access to historic buildings should be through a primary public entrance.
In historic buildings, if this cannot be achieved without permanent damage to character-defining
features, at least one entrance used by the public should be made accessible. If the accessible
entrance is not the primary public entrance, directional signs should direct visitors to the acces-
sible entrance. A rear or service entrance should be avoided as the only mean of entering a
building (Jester & Park, 1993).

3.2The Historical Peninsula Management Plan and Other Efforts in the Field of Accessibility
It is stated in ‘The Notes for the Updating the Historical Peninsula Management Plan Accessi-
bility Projects and Actions’ (IBB, 2015) that; there are several project packages offered and im-
plemented within the scope of Istanbul Historical Peninsula Management Plan. In the recent
years, ‘Accessibility Projects’ are given more importance and below are some selected notes
from the accessibility projects of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality:
(III-PP15): ‘Minimizing of The Effects of Transportation Investments on The Management
Plan Area’ Project includes; reviewing and rearranging the public transportation routes, taking
the bus-stops outside the boundaries of The Peninsula and providing the development of railway
systems within The Peninsula by determining and implementing new axes. This project also
suggests the prevention of transit passage from The Peninsula.
(III-PP16) Management Plan Area being Accessible for All and Implementing ‘Universal De-
sign’ Principles to Urban Space’ Project includes; developing standards and making arrange-
ments according to the needs of disadvantaged groups on pedestrian and vehicle access routes,
in transportation vehicles and for signaling systems. A completed work is; developing ramp
systems of the ferries for wheelchair users. Some of the suggestions are; (1) determining the
priorities for the arrangements compatible with the accessibility criteria and a phasing study, (2)
clear indication of the areas that are not possible to be accessible and placing relevant sign-
boards, (3) making research about the reasons for disabled persons to come to the area,
(III-PP1)‘Minimizing of The Effects of Transportation Investments on The Cultural Assets ’
Project includes; developing the criteria that allow people with visual disabilities and wheel-
chair users to move comfortably in and around piers and go to ferries without an accompanying
person (extracted with changes from: Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. 2014).
In ‘The Accessibility Workshop Draft Report (İBB, 2015), it is noted that; although full ac-
cess to every point of the Peninsula may not be possible, access to public buildings stands as a
must. It is also stated that accessible routes for all should be determined and implemented. Be-
cause the area is highly valuable and original, designs tailored to the area have to be obtained.
Also, in this project, an application for smart phones, to calculate an accessible route for the
user according to the current and the destination point is being prepared.
Within the management plan area, one of the major ideas that this project builds upon is; to
develop a continuous pedestrian route. The idea to achieve this is to gather information from the
users and the tour companies. Also, hand-outs that show the pedestrian routs and the accessible
areas have to be prepared.
Also, the connection between all the historical buildings can be obtained using sea-
transportation. The idea behind this solution is to decrease the load of traffic in The Peninsula.
In the SWOT analyses about accessibility of The Historical Peninsula, some important issues
determined are given below. Please note that not all the SWOT analyses is given here, just a few
major areas are mentioned here for the reasons of lack of space for this paper’s limits.
 Among ‘Strengths’ the major points are listed as; The Peninsula being very rich by means of
various alternative transportation types (sea, railway, entrances, bridges and ports, interesting
streets with view-terraces worth seeing on foot).
For the ‘Weaknesses’; high grades of slopes posing a big barrier, existing sidewalks (patches
on the surface, various kinds of materials on the surface, various level differences, insufficient
number of compatible ramps, tactile signs and way finding properties, etc.) can be given. The
most important ‘Opportunity’ is determined as the potential of sea-transportation.
Among the railway systems found in The Peninsula, an extensive inventory study has been
completed by determining which metro stations, tramway stations, ‘Marmaray’ line stops and
sea ports are accessible.
The summary of accessibility work done in the mosques of the Historical Peninsula is;
•Portable lifts where the level differences are not anywhere but on the tresholds in the
mosque (e.g. Eyup Mosque),
•Portable steel and timber systems to overcome the level differences between the outside
and the inside of some mosques (e.g. Fatih Camii)
•Mechanical vertical lifts and permanent ramps as an addition to the solutions given above
(e.g. Sehzade Mosque, Suleymaniye Mosque, Sultanahmet Mosque) (Fig. 3, 4 and 6),
•All of these mosques mentioned above have been applied timber as the material to fill the
gaps of the doors.

İSTANBULBÜYÜKŞEHİRBELEDİYESİENGELLİLER MÜDÜRLÜĞÜ

Fig. 3 and 4: Entrance of Sehzade Mosque : The access to the inner courtyard has been provided with
a portable metal ramp

On thresholds, metal ramps are used again. The gaps of the doors to enter the courtyard are
filled with timber to allow the wheelchairs to pass (Fig 5).
İSTANBULB

Fig. 5: Threshold of Sehzade Mosque

 İSTANBULBÜYÜKŞEHİRBELEDİYESİENGELLİLER MÜDÜRLÜĞÜ

Fig. 6: Mechanical vertical lift up to the portico (or narthex) of Sehzade Mosque

STANBULBÜYÜKŞEHİRBELEDİYESİENGELLİLER MÜDÜRLÜĞÜ
In Suleymaniye Mosque, for the passage from exterior courtyard to the interior courtyard, a
ramp compatible with TS 9111 standards have been proposed. Existing situation of the entrance
is seen in Fig. . There is a glass platform 7 cm.s high from the level. As it can clearly be seen
from the drawing, it is not possible to provide a ramp vertical to the entrance. Thus, a ramp par-
allel to the entrance is designed. The ramp has been situated according to the direction of inten-
sive use of pedestrians.

Fig. 7: Mechanical vertical lift up to the portico (or narthex) of Sehzade Mosque

ĞÜ

Fig. 8: Mechanical vertical lift up to the portico (or narthex) of Sehzade Mosque

Consensus has been made for the stairs to be heightened from (-)0.35 to (-)0.21, which is also
the height of the portico, so the access will be possible from ramp to portico and from portico to
the main entrance(Fig.7). Also, a specific need for a mosque is; to leave the shoes outside when
entering the mosque had to be solved for wheelchairs. Wheelchair users will be provided
enough space to switch to the clean wheelchair obtained by the mosque (Fig.8).
While a new design has been made for Sultanahmet and Beyazıt Square, accessibility re-
quirements have been taken into consideration. All the level differences are solved with suitable
ramps with compatible materials and tactile warning stripes and guides have been put accord-
ingly. For the tactile surfaces, materials are carefully chosen in order to adapt the other materials
in the site. Hand rails for stairs and walls are designed (Fig. 9 and 10)

Fig 9: Sultanahmet Mosque

İSTANBULBÜYÜKŞEHİRBELEDİYESİENGELLİLER MÜDÜRLÜĞÜ

Fig. 10: New project for Sultanahmet and Beyazıt Square

In the Project, also a significant number of ramps have been provided. The heights of side-
walks are 8 cms in the area (Fig. 11).
İSTANBULBÜYÜKŞEHİRBELEDİYESİENGELLİ
 İSTANBULBÜYÜKŞEHİRBELEDİYESİENGELLİLER MÜDÜRLÜĞÜ

Fig. 11: New project for Sultanahmet and Beyazıt Square

The gaps between the materials chosen for the surface allow the wheelchair users to move com-
fortably (Fig. 12).

Fig. 12: New project for Sultanahmet and Beyazıt Square

4CONCLUSION

Creating an Accessible Route seems as the first and the most important feature to be achieved
when speaking about ‘the Historical Peninsula’.
Tough it is known that; unpainted pressure-treated wood should not be used to construct
ramps because it usually appears temporary and is not visually compatible with most historic
properties; designing some wooden units as a solution is thought to be suitable for Historical
Peninsula. This means that the general rules sometimes may not apply when historical areas are
concerned.
First of all, in order to be starting the evaluation and design stages of accessibility features, a
wider perspective on how to handle the Peninsula as a whole is vital. Generally speaking, often
the most appropriate and satisfactory way to achieve the accessibility of historical sites is
through the solutions about the management of the site. These solutions, unlike the architectural
and design solutions, require very few or no changes in historical pattern but serve as a good
 starting point for accessibility efforts to become real. When management solutions to a site’s
access are accurate, then finding and implementing the design solutions is a lot easier and satis-
factory at later stages.
The access to The Peninsula and the impacts of transportation on the main structure, thus on
the historical buildings are to be assessed beforehand. It is observed that the existing transporta-
tion systems not only block the access, but also destroy the main qualities of the historical sites.
Although transportation ‘on wheels’ is an unavoidable mean of access for the city of Istanbul,
it poses a great threat for Historical Peninsula and has to be restricted substantially. However, in
order for the restrictions to be a proper solution, new and integrated alternative transportation
has to be designed. Right at this point, Historical Peninsula has a very huge advantage being a
‘Peninsula’. Sea transportation, if enhanced, will be the key solution when integrated with rail
systems ans sufficient car parks.
Designing the transportation as a system of a combination of ‘sea-transportation’ and ‘rail
systems’ and allocating sufficient and well-located spaces for cars, busses and mini-busses to
park beyond the periphery of the peninsula will not only limit the process of destruction but also
provide a good starting point for ‘An Accessible Route’ to the historical assets.
Most historic buildings are not exempt from providing accessibility, and with careful plan-
ning, historic properties can be made more accessible, so that all citizens can enjoy our Nation's
diverse heritage.

4.1References

Jester, T. & Park, S. 1993. Making Historic Properties Accessible. Preservation Briefs, ALA U.S. De-
partment of “the Interior National Park Service Cultural Resources Heritage Preservation Services,
ISSN: 0885-7016, 1993. USA (http://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/preservedocs/preservation-
briefs/32Preserve-Brief-Accessible.pdf)
UNESCO. 2006. Historic Areas of Istanbul, Istanbul Review Mission Report 1, To The Historic Areas Of
Istanbul World Heritage Site, United Nations Educational, Scientific And Cultural Organization, The
Protection Of The World Cultural And Natural Heritage Convention, 13th Session, Joint
ICOMOS/UNESCO (WHC) Expert Mission Report, Paris.
(http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2006/mis356-2006.pdf )
UNESCO, CLT, WHC. Accessed at: April 2015. Historic Areas of Istanbul.
(http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/356)
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. 2014, Notes for the Updating The Historical Peninsula Management
Plan Accessibility Projects and Actions, unpublished. Istanbul
(İBB, 2015), ‘The Accessibility Workshop Draft Report, unpublished. Istanbul
All the figures are obtained from İBB (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality), Accessibility of Historical
Peninsula Presentation, prepared for the author of this paper.

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