Fener & Balat are among the central historical neighbourhoods of Istanbul on the Historical Peninsula. In its history, it is known to be the home to Greeks, Armenians and Jews. Today, the Muslim population is dominant. Greek Patriarchate and the Orthodox Church are located at Fener. As aristocratic Greek families started to build villas around the Patriarchate by the 18th century, Greek architecture had become dominant in the neighbourhood until the 1960s and this is still readable on some historical buildings. Balat, on the other hand, is known as a Jewish quarter dating back to the Byzantine period. It is argued that one fourth of the population of Balat left for Israel after its establishment and in time the Jewish population was reduced to a minority in Balat. By the 1960s, the industrialisation around Golden Horn affected both neighbourhoods and as the building stock got old, real estate values decreased and the area had become a settlement for low-income people in general. Between 1984 and 1987, the Mayor of Istanbul Bedrettin Dalan went through some major demolishment in the neighbourhoods as part of a wide ranging program. Many 18th century stone buildings were demolished with bulldozers. Efforts to transform these areas into parks or other public space could not be achieved.

Since the 1990s, some restoration and renewal programs on the agenda for Fener & Balat neighbourhoods. The first comprehensive program was the "Rehabilitation of Fener & Balat Districts Program"; a joint program of the EU and the Fatih Municipality (2003-2007)1. This program intended to rehabilitate the neighbourhoods with special emphasis on community participation. However, in 2007, Fatih Municipality proposed the neighbourhoods as a "renewal area" to the Cabinet on the basis of Act No. 5366, which authorises the Cabinet to declare renewal areas at the deprived areas of the city upon the municipality's proposal. This new phase included new tenders, architects and investors to the program but excluded the community participation. It is now argued that a capital group that had won the tender to develop the renewal project as well has invested on the neighbourhood large amounts2.

Today, an association called FEBAYDER is founded to struggle with the project by the people living in the neighbourhoods. It is their argument that the renewal project that was approved by the Fatih Municipality a couple of months ago will make them move out of their neighbourhoods and they do not want to do so...

Our mission will be to analyse the social and economic life in the neighbourhoods as well as their physical structures and criticise the renewal project on the basis of our analysis. Some proposals are also welcome on specific topics that are determined to be problematic. Groups are free to develop their own approach. They may focus on a specific aspect of the project or take the whole into consideration. The products are expected to present as posters as well as short reports. It is a good idea to talk to as many locals as possible and take images/recordings and etc at the field for the presentations.

Good luck and hope to have helpful products for the neighbourhood's future...

Contacy Details of the Organisers:
Murat Cemal Yalçıntan [email protected] Tel: 0090 533 7265510
Ece Aksakoğlu [email protected] Tel: 0090 535708088

PROGRAM3:
March 21, Sunday:
10.30 Meeting at Tophane Bus Stop
11.00 - 12.00 Introduction to the WS & Tütün Deposu
12.00 - 12.45 Introduction to Fener- Balat -Çiğdem Şahin (FEBA Association)
12.45 - 13.00 Documentary Film on Fener Balat by Fatih Pınar
13.00 - 14.00 Lunch4
14.00 - 18.00 Neighbourhood Visit

March 22, Monday:
10.00 - 11.00 The Urban Planning Agenda & Urban Social Movements in Istanbul- Erbatur Çavuşoğlu & Murat Cemal Yalçıntan
11.00 - 12.30 Group Discussions for Developing an Approach to the Study
12.30 - 13.30 Lunch
13.30 - 17.00 İstanbul Sightseeing - Coach Tour (Departure from Tophane Bus Stop)5

March 23, Tuesday
10.00 - 11.00 A Brief History of İstanbul - Orhan Esen
11.00 - 16.00 Field Work of the Study Groups
16.00 - 16.45 İstanbul Master Plan - Murat Diren
16.45 - 17.30 İstanbul Culture of Capital - Asu Aksoy
17.30 - 19.00 Guided Tour of the "Open City İstanbul" Exhibition at Tütün Deposu

March 24, Wednesday
10.00 - 16.00 Studio: Preparations for the Presentation
16.00 - 19.00 Presentations & Discussions
20.00 Closing Dinner6

DRAFT GROUPS:
Groups are organised according to the balance between Turkish and international students as well as the people's professional/departmental backgrounds. It is free to make changes by paying attention to these and letting us know.

General Supervision:

Çiğdem Şahin (FEBAYDER)
Dr. Nancy Holman (LSE)
Dr. Erbatur Çavuşoğlu (MSGSU)
Dr. Murat Cemal Yalçıntan (MSGSU)

GROUP 1:
Rachel Bramwell (Geography)
Bill Bacon (Planner)
Irina Kraicheva (Economist)
Duko Frankhuizen (Architect)
Alexandra Payne (Sociology)
Mathias Gratry (International Relations)
Tatiane De Jesus (Planning)
Ece Aksakoğlu (Local Development)
Tuba Kolat (Planning)
Leyla Mehtap Turanalp (Planning)
Besena Skenduli (Planning)
Öncül Kırlangıç (Architect)

GROUP 2:
Kavita Shah (Geography)
Linda Van Soerland (Planning)
Andrea Roberts (Economist)
Pabl0 Navarete (Architect)
Madelyn Eads-Dorsey (Anthropology)
Claudia Bogenmann (Political Science)
Sara Hamai (Planning)
Ayfer Nigar Efe (Planning)
Kubilay Atalar (Planning)
Eda Güneş(Planning)
Reycan Çetin (Planning)
Dimitra Adamantidou

GROUP 3:
Paul Stewart Beswick (Geography)
Solenne Cucci (Planning)
Yuki Inui (Economist)
Isabel Carreras Baquer (Architect)
Jean Baptiste (Local Economic Development)
Julianna Estrada Carbonell (Lawyer)
Thomas Rosenbaum (Planning)
Elif Dağaşan (Planning)
Fatma Gül Eryıldız (Planning)
Cansu Ertan (Planning)
Dicle Koylan (Sociology)
Pınar Özbay (Planning)

GROUP 4:
Ahmad Makia (Human Geography)
John G. Martins (Planning)
Ben Grinnell (Economist)
Gesine Kippenburg (Architect)
louise gibbons (Urbanization and Development)
Oscar Vanzualez (Public Administration)
Thalita Pires (Planning)
Semiha Turgut (Planning)
Yunus Emre Sarıkaya (Planning)
Derya Apaydın (Planning)
Ayşe Aşıgül (Planning)
Ekin Çakır (sociology)

GROUP 5:
Veronique Turner (Geography)
Sarah Zouheir (Planning)
Caroline Spigelski (Architect)
nikoletta deutsch (Urb. & Development)
Antoine Pequignot (Planning)
Joanna Crispe (Urb. & Development)
Rüya Türcan (Planning)
Yağmur Aktaş (Planning)
Duygu Koçer (Planning)
Gökçen Taşkın (Planning)
Elif Çora (MSÜ Sosyoloji)

FREE TO JOIN THE GROUPS IF THEY ARE WILLING TO:
Producer & Director - H. Ali Erol
Documentary Director (Julia)
Marlene (Julia)
Alexa (Julia)
Steff (Julia)
Ayşebaşak (İÜ Sociology)
Gökçe Ağaoğlu and her 2 friends (BÜ Sociology)
Esra Kaya (YTÜ Planning)
Çiçek İlengiz (Julia)
Aytaç (Julia)
Filiz Ayseli (planning)

Takip

• Tarlabaşı-Fener-Balat