Istanbul: A Diverse Capital

Istanbul: A Diverse Capital

Istanbul promises to be the place to be throughout 2010, a city that is becoming more diverse than ever?  .Elevating its history and traditions even further alongside the modern world of culture and technology demands, people will discover just exactly what makes this city maintain its uniqueness. With Istanbul becoming the European Capital of Culture  for 2010 hopefully it will reveal the deep roots of this historical landmark which is beyond the dominating minarets and architecture of areas like the Sultanahmet . The year 2010 is a moment that can also reveal its future direction with the current generation of designers and modern thinkers. Today the youth of Istanbul are tomorrow’s creators of history; there challenge could be aligning with history here to make their thoughts work.

You can’t hide from the fact Istanbul is already diverse but that is not a detrimental point of view; it is a form of astonishment from many that enter this metropolis right from the offset after leaving the arrival lounges. Welcomed by the vast array of yellow cabs; reminiscent of New York all over the city working like a production line to meet the demand of the commuter. Out on the highway the ageing Dolmus appears every 5 minutes trafficking between districts heaving with commuters although the cheapest way to travel yet not the most enjoyable. However even the modern transport designs can be just as demanding mentally has millions of working people head home each night .For those millions of working people commuting each night the diverse view of history and today’s world of glitzy fashion, skyscrapers, shopping malls, and billboards just pass bye.

Is Yesterday Still Tomorrows World

Often heard, is Istanbul has diverse as New York? More so, can you find such historic architecture as Hagia Sophia  or the Sultan Ahmed Mosque  (Blue Mosque) for example?  Dig deeper and Istanbul will take you back over 2000 years or more and today cleverly it tries to respond to modern demanding outlooks. I recently had a brief chat to a designer here in Istanbul who highlighted a view from his side of the table what will our generation add to this city? What will the next generation remember about today’s generation of ideas? Myself not being qualified or experienced to answer ,I can only quote on what I see it but for what is it worth today’s generation have a task ahead and could create even more diversity in terms of structure if history is to remained the symbolic view. Question also is do today’s generation of architects have the vision and freedom of past generations where architects like Sedefhar Mehmet Ağa  or Koca Mimar Sinan Ağa   provided the vision we see and admire today in Istanbul.

Recent additions that actually worked with the historic view for me are the two Bosphorus suspension bridges there known as Bosphorus Bridge (the First Bosphorus Bridge opened in 1983) and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (known as the Second Bosphorus Bridge opened in 1988) a third Bosphorus bridge  was announced to be built from Tarabya (where I live on the European side) and Beykoz. These suspension bridges whilst not individually unique in design it is the way they blend in appearance within the surroundings and location on the Bosphorus creating that diverse thought. Whilst you travel across these bridges the view becomes a panoramic scene of minarets and the steep rise of the populated concreted districts, underneath you the thriving water network of cargo and commuting delivers just has it had for thousands of years.

Through the Window and Beyond

Looking from home the view offers a mixed thought in one direction the beautiful view of Asia across the Bosphorus, minarets peaking above the concreted districts. The other directions closer to home buried in the steep hills are the Gecekondu developments surrounded by the newer developed buildings and secured neighbourhood complexes for wealthier earners. The modern design does not stray far from the familiar apartment block design, the differences in the last century the use of concrete as opposed to wooden designs of the Ottoman era though these can still be seen in areas along the Bosphorus though becoming derelict from neglect and expectations of living standards .Best examples of wooden apartment blocks as I may call them I found to be on Büyükada Princes Islands. The modern apartment blocks here standing tall and balconied often three or four stories high in different neutral Mediterranean colours can make a dull rainy day somewhat pleasant view.

Moving into the areas of Levent the business financial district which has the towering skyscrapers, here the tallest building in Istanbul a modern skyscraper Istanbul Sapphire resides yet it has always struck me how these skyscrapers are strategically located ,whether that was purposely done I can’t answer. But they don’t destroy the skyline or the vision once again you find yourself mesmerised in the view thus creating that diversity from one era to another. In a short distance you can find yourself back in history going down into Besiktas and along to Taksim then heading into Eminonu. Here in Eminonu a thriving district that holds the history and the view yet buried inside all this history Eminonu is one of the most chaotic places I have been too. Reason being it seems to be the nerve centre of commuting, the ferries that traffic commuters across the Bosphorus seem non-stop during the daylight hours. From the bridge you stand there and think how does it all work whilst you are surrounded by hundreds fishermen dropping their lines below, underneath the Balik restaurants serving up freshly caught delights. Turnaround 360 degrees and once again history mesmerises you amongst the hustling and bustling of trying to get where you want to go.

Beneath all this Diversity

Is the hope of succeeding and using the history to succeed and maintain and nowhere more it is all apparent than places like Eminonu where the heart of the streets are lined with sellers of goods that are delivered via the Bosphorus route. On the streets goods are transported via carts alongside modern means, makeshift stalls or just a blanket laid out on the street serves as a means of selling handcrafted or fake merchant goods. Not to say you can’t shop for genuine quality goods in a western modern style in the malls of example Istinye or Şişli and so on. The real diversity of it all is the ability of Istanbul and its people to hold on to their history and take on the modern world at the same time without destroying yesterday and tomorrow.

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