**3. Fragmented CBDs in 1900: Early modernisation and bipolarity**

During the 19th century (up to 1900) the city grew rapidly as the following data show: 1826 - 360,000, 1856 - 450,000, 1885 - 874,000 – and 1897 over 1 million inhabitants. In that time Istanbul was inhabitated by a *multi-ethnic society*. Muslims were just in the majority (52%), Armenians and Greeks were 16% each and 4.5% were Jews. Additionally, 13% of the population (1897) were counted as foreigners (not Ottoman citizens), most of them being Europeans from different countries, mostly businessmen. In the decades before 1900 the political and economic relations of the Ottoman Empire to Europe had been reinforced. A *general modernisation* in urban form, mechanisation and industrialisation took place in the capital. Politically, the Ottomans lost their influence in south-eastern Europe (the Balkans), but the European empires had been interested in keeping up relations with the government at Istanbul – for intensive economic reasons. At the same time, and similar to big cities in Europe, town planning and modern urban infrastructure (building technology, electricity, mobility) occurred. A "*European" part of Istanbul* arose at Pera (Photo 3), a plateau north of the Golden Horn, connected with the Galata Bridge by an *underground cableway tunnel*, the first in Europe. The railway connection to Europe was constructed by 1873 and nearby another modern CBD grew up between the railway station *Sirceçi* and the area surrounding the *Galata bridge* (see Fig. 2, shaped like a dumb-bell).

*A bipolar city structure* was a fact in 1900. How did the structures in the traditional centre look like and *why did the city move toward the Pera hills*?

At first, the traditional core between Topkapi and the Bazaar area (Fig. 1, 2) was the powerful centre of the *state's administration*: the Ministries of Finance, Interior, External

Istanbul's Backbone - A Chain of Central Business Districts (CBDs) 207

Fig. 2. Fragmentation at 1900: traditional core and two modern CBDs. Modern functions at

The built up area of Istanbul did now (1900) cover both sides of the Golden Horn and also the area east of the Bosporus: Aside the old bridgehead of Üsküdar Kadiköy became important. In Kadiköy, today Istanbul's Anatolian centre, the head station of the Bagdad-

new locations – the movement of CBDs starts. Draft: M. Seger.

railway was built.

Affairs (Sublime Porte) and War (today: Istanbul University) had been located here in modern buildings. The big Bazaar area nearby covered numerous workshops, similar to the coastline at the Golden Horn. On the northern side of the Horn, and this is necessary to mention now, the quarter of *Galata* is unlike the other city areas. This quarter with its Mediterranean stone buildings was mostly inhabited by Europeans, and by Greeks and Armenians for centuries. The location of Galata and the neighbouring Pera were highly valued by France, the United Kingdom, the German Reich and Russia when they located their embassies there. Pera *became the hot spot for the modern and urban lifestyle* in Istanbul before World War I. Its centre, the *Istiklal Caddesi*, was a high level shopping area and *Istanbul's first modern CBD*. Located between the *Tunnel* and the *Taksim*-Place, its topographical position is significant for the location of the following urban centres.

Photo 3. Istiklal Cad. at Pera 2010. Westernised CBD of Ottoman Istanbul around 1900 (Grand Rue de Pera, compare Fig. 2). Renewed nowadays after blight till 1990.

By 1900, there was a bipolarity of the city centre and three different CBD areas were also distinguishable (see Fig. 2). One of them is the *traditional core* with governmental functions and the famous mosques: *Ottoman-Islamic identity* – surrounded by traditional urban work space. Remote from that, at the Pera plateau, a *segregated westernised society* had an everyday life similar to that in a European city. These residential, shopping and entertainment areas were one part of Istanbul's modern city. The other area was the CBD complex *on both sides of the Galata bridge*. Similar to the function of the bridge as a hinge, this CBD complex links the administrative core near Topkapi and the westernised core by the CBDs functions: a modern *economical administration* with banking and insurance offices, the main post office, with harbour facilities and the main railway station.

Affairs (Sublime Porte) and War (today: Istanbul University) had been located here in modern buildings. The big Bazaar area nearby covered numerous workshops, similar to the coastline at the Golden Horn. On the northern side of the Horn, and this is necessary to mention now, the quarter of *Galata* is unlike the other city areas. This quarter with its Mediterranean stone buildings was mostly inhabited by Europeans, and by Greeks and Armenians for centuries. The location of Galata and the neighbouring Pera were highly valued by France, the United Kingdom, the German Reich and Russia when they located their embassies there. Pera *became the hot spot for the modern and urban lifestyle* in Istanbul before World War I. Its centre, the *Istiklal Caddesi*, was a high level shopping area and *Istanbul's first modern CBD*. Located between the *Tunnel* and the *Taksim*-Place, its

topographical position is significant for the location of the following urban centres.

Photo 3. Istiklal Cad. at Pera 2010. Westernised CBD of Ottoman Istanbul around 1900 (Grand Rue de Pera, compare Fig. 2). Renewed nowadays after blight till 1990.

harbour facilities and the main railway station.

By 1900, there was a bipolarity of the city centre and three different CBD areas were also distinguishable (see Fig. 2). One of them is the *traditional core* with governmental functions and the famous mosques: *Ottoman-Islamic identity* – surrounded by traditional urban work space. Remote from that, at the Pera plateau, a *segregated westernised society* had an everyday life similar to that in a European city. These residential, shopping and entertainment areas were one part of Istanbul's modern city. The other area was the CBD complex *on both sides of the Galata bridge*. Similar to the function of the bridge as a hinge, this CBD complex links the administrative core near Topkapi and the westernised core by the CBDs functions: a modern *economical administration* with banking and insurance offices, the main post office, with

Fig. 2. Fragmentation at 1900: traditional core and two modern CBDs. Modern functions at new locations – the movement of CBDs starts. Draft: M. Seger.

The built up area of Istanbul did now (1900) cover both sides of the Golden Horn and also the area east of the Bosporus: Aside the old bridgehead of Üsküdar Kadiköy became important. In Kadiköy, today Istanbul's Anatolian centre, the head station of the Bagdadrailway was built.

Istanbul's Backbone - A Chain of Central Business Districts (CBDs) 209

the peninsula, at the Golden Horn and on the Asiatic bridgehead of the city. The migrants built their squatter homes in general near to the factory sites, so called *Gecekondu* – meaning 'built over night'. A ring of *squatter areas* characterised the fringe of the city, its new inner parts dominated by apartment blocks. The direction of the growth at that time is documented in Fig. 4 and the fragmentation of the *shape of the city in three main parts* (Penisula, north of Golden Horn, bridgehead in the east) produced several subcentres. Up to 1985 (1985: 5,8 mio. inhabitants) new industrial areas were founded and the crowded situation made it necessary to remove most of the industries out of the city - the start of

Fig. 4. Changes in the urban form of Istanbul 1950-2010: ribbon development at the seaside, growth and fragmentation, satellites and displacement of industry, belt of Gecekondu, later





The *CBD areas* (Fig. 1) underwent the following changes in the period 1950–1970:

the historic peninsula started to turn to new functions.

their former position and turned nearly to an inner city slum.

*environment protection*.

upgrading. Draft M. Seger.

phenomena.
