Ulrike Tischler ed.) From «milieu de mémoire»> to «lieu de mémoire»> The cultural memory of Istanbul in the 20th century Martin Meidenbauer )>‘Suen Gaunt Rea mc rch tig Die Deutsche fiblithek verzeichne diese Paton nd Dean Natori ‘ate; dealin bblogafsche Daten a Jim internet bor tpi ea. abtba (© 2006 Marin Meidenbauer rung, Mnchen Uschag Abiding: sie ist of ht ‘ions, Maps and Graphics S10. ‘Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Dieses Wek ein- Schleich ale seine Tele urheberrecht- lich geschizt. jade Vererturg ater der GGrenzen des Uicborgeseies ohne shi lice Zustimmung des Vrlages tunis, inde: Ou gh nite Nc duck, auch auszugsweise, Reprodultion, Ver. veltigung, Ubersetzung, Miroverinng, sowie Digisisieng oder Cnspescherun vadverttng tegen in ‘a tlre Stamens At Pied in Geary Sexes aut hore! pebleiche, sue ud Sterne er 1509705 'SBN 3-89975.063-2 ‘Verlgsvezoichnls schickt gem: ‘Martin Meidenbaver Verlagsbuchhandlung Erhardt | 80469 Manchen svnemverag net [ET CARISSIMO SIGURDO MARITO ETMATRI MEAE CARISSIMARahem Elden Abstract This aril eplores the dificult involved in econstting the ust of he isis of Perm nd Gast, doh dominanos of cera mys and hh Tink to th past of hese "westem isi of sanbul Reflecting en he impressive sun of ere pede een dads on his prtclar tren. tatempt to aly the eto bein ths phenomenon ano italy eer ane: ag ht mah hina productions strongly fue by a unter of trope, th eng which is in itself worthy of a historical analysis. bt = ‘Ovioman Galata and Pera between mth and reality Edhem ELDEM ‘Ottoman Galata and Pera between myth and reality ‘The pat two decades have been characterized by a rediscovery, mostly by the Turkish public, of the history of Istanbul and, moe particulary of some istrits viewed as specificaly representative of some essential apecs ofthe historical texture ofthe city. True, the ergs ofthe phenomenon ean be traced back to much earl times! the Otomans themselves were quite Conscious ofthe symboli value oftheir capital ity and have consequent produced a number of literary work ming at describing the history monumental, or simply the beauty of Istanbul. One ofthe earliest and best Known examples of thi tradition is probably the frst book of Eliya Gelebi’s ‘seventeenth-century Book of Travels', entirely devoted to the capital city and its history, its mythology is major dsrets and monument, aswell sits Social makeup. Almost very poet would als have ago at praising the Splendor of the city, composing odes eulgizing the shores ofthe Bosponss, slorfying its Imperial palaces, and acelaiming te charm and magnificence of its gardens and promenades.” By the nineteenth century, a new dimension was added to the phenomenon with the publication of works of a more tneyelopdic nature, suchas Hafiz Haseyin Aywansray's Garden of ‘Moaque® Mehmed Rai’ Mirror of Istanbu ot Mehmed Ziya's Istanbul ‘and the Bosporus’. The Republican era witnessed a continuation of this trend, ‘vith Regd Eiem Kogu's famous (nd unachieved) Eneylopedia of Tstanbuba fascinating and often baffling compilation of wide varity of information concerning the ety ranging from history to folklore, fom sets and monuments o individuals o al walks of if, and from popular poetry to Scandals. By the 19705, a time when inthe face of rapid urbanization, & trowing need was felt to salvage what ite was eft of the city's urban heritage particular effort was made to revive and recreate, be iton paper, ome ofthe masterpieces ofthe city’s architectural past Seda Eldem’ svorks were particulary striking in this respect, as they combined a bona fide * Biya Gem, Seyshatname, vo. Istanbul 1314/1898, 2 anil Hani DasiShex, Destan ve Divan Edebiyaarna Istanbul Sev. tanbul 1941. Se als in this espest Shrine HaMADED, The Ciy's Pleasre: Istanbul nthe Eightenth Century (Frtcoming). > ate Hseyin AYVANSARAYL, Haikat"-Cevami Istanbul 1281/1865. * Mehmed RAF, Meat Istnbol. Istanbul 1314/1897. * Mehmed Ziv, Istanbul ve Bogaig. Istanbul 1336/1920, 1928, * Reged Ekrem Kocu,lstnbel Ansiklopedis. Istanbul 644-1978.Eder Eldem | ‘exercise of historical and architectural research” with a latent feeling of nostalgia for a lost world, as voiced in the titles of two major pictorial works, Reminiscences of Istanbul and Reminiscences of the Bosphorus. ‘One of the major characteristics ofthis phenomenon was its overall ‘consistency witha certain understanding of Istanbul as an essentially Ottoman ‘and Muslim capital. Evia Celebi was celebrating the present and a recent ‘past; nineteenth-century authors were probably aware of ongoing and ‘impending transformations; thir successors in the past fifty years were conscious of the need to keep track ofa heritage that was ost or bound to