Historical areas of Istanbul
| Historical areas of Istanbul | |
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UNESCO world heritage 
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Sultan Ahmed Mosque |
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| Contracting State (s): |
 Turkey
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| Type: | Culture |
| Criteria : | (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) |
| Surface: | 765.5 ha |
| Reference No .: | 356bis |
| UNESCO region : | Europe and North America |
| History of enrollment | |
| Enrollment: | 1985 (session 9) |
| Extension: | 2017 |
The historic areas of Istanbul include parts of the old city of Istanbul and since 1985 a UNESCO - site of world cultural heritage .
With its strategic location on the Bosporus peninsula between the Balkans and Anatolia , the Black Sea and the Mediterranean , Istanbul has been associated with significant political, religious and art-historical events for more than 2000 years. The main attractions include the ancient hippodrome of Constantine , Hagia Sophia from the 6th century and the Suleymaniye Mosque from the 16th century, all of which are today due to population pressure , industrial pollution and uncontrolledUrbanization are threatened.
description
The old town is located on a peninsula surrounded by the Golden Horn (Haliç), a natural harbor , to the north, by the Bosporus to the east and by the Sea of Marmara to the south . The historic peninsula, on which the former Byzantium and Constantinople developed, was surrounded by ancient walls that were originally built by Theodosius II .
The unmistakable and characteristic silhouette of Istanbul was built over many centuries and includes the Hagia Sophia, whose huge dome reflects the architectural and decorative craftsmanship of the 6th century, the Fatih complex and the Topkapı Palace from the 15th century, which dates back to The Suleymaniye Mosque complex and the Şehzade Mosque complex, works of the court architect Sinan , which represent the pinnacle of Ottoman architecture in the 16th century, the Blue Mosque from the 17th century and the slender minarets of the New mosque near the harbor, completed in 1664 .
The four historical areas of the World Heritage Site are:
- the Archaeological Park at the tip of the historic peninsula
- the Süleymaniye district with the Süleymaniye mosque complex, the bazaars and the traditional buildings around it
- the Zeyrek settlement area around the Zeyrek Mosque (the former Pantocrat church ) and
- the area on both sides of the Theodosian Land Wall including the remains of the former Blachernen Palace .
Architectural masterpieces from successive imperial periods can be seen in these areas, including the Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque , the Valens Aqueduct , the Justinian churches of Hagia Sophia, Hagia Irene and the Little Hagia Sophia (now the Küçük Ayasofya Mosque), the Pantocrator monastery founded by Empress Irene under John II Komnenos (today the Zeyrek Mosque), the former Chora church with its mosaics and paintings from the 14th and 15th centuries, as well as many other extraordinary examples of different building types such as baths, cisterns and graves.
View of the Topkapı Palace
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Registration as a world heritage site
The Historic Areas of Istanbul were included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1985 as one of the first sites in Turkey based on a decision of the 9th session of the World Heritage Committee.
In 2017, the boundaries were clearly defined and the site was slightly expanded by 96.2 hectares, so that the site now comprises a total of 765.5 hectares.
The reason for the entry states, among other things:
The outstanding universal value of Istanbul lies in its unique integration of architectural masterpieces, reflecting the confluence of Europe and Asia over many centuries, and in its incomparable silhouette shaped by the creative genius of Byzantine and Ottoman architects.
The entry was made on the basis of criteria (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv).
(i): The historical areas of Istanbul include monuments recognized as unique architectural masterpieces of the Byzantine and Ottoman periods, such as Hagia Sophia, designed by Anthemios von Tralleis and Isidore von Miletus in 532-537 , and the Suleymaniye complex Mosque designed by architect Sinan in 1550–1557.
(ii): Throughout history, Istanbul's monuments have had a significant impact on the development of architecture, monumental arts and spatial organization both in Europe and in the Middle East. The 6.65 meter high land wall of Theodosius II with its second line of defense, which was created in 447, was one of the leading reference structures in military architecture; Hagia Sophia became the model for a number of churches and later mosques, and the mosaics of the palaces and churches of Constantinople influenced both Eastern and Western art.
(iii): Istanbul harbors a unique testimony to the Byzantine and Ottoman civilization through a large number of high-quality examples of various types of buildings, some of them with associated works of art. These include fortifications, churches and palaces with mosaics and frescoes, monumental cisterns, tombs, mosques, religious schools and bathhouses. The typical dwellings around the most important religious monuments in the Suleymaniye and Zeyrek districts are exceptional testimonies to the late Ottoman townscape.
(iv): The city is an outstanding ensemble of monuments, architectural and technical facilities that illustrate very different phases in human history. In particular, the Topkapi Palace and the Suleymaniye Mosque complex with its caravanserais , Koran schools , the medical faculty, the library, the bath building, the hospice and the imperial tombs are outstanding examples of palace complexes and religious complexes from the Ottoman period.
Hazard and protection
The traditional wooden houses in the Suleymaniye and Zeyrek districts were classified as endangered at the time of enrollment. Despite the impending changes, many efforts have since been made to preserve and stabilize the wooden structures within the site. Changes in the social structure within the area have also affected the use of these buildings.
The cityscape is threatened by insufficient maintenance and pressure to change. The metropolitan parish is trying to rehabilitate the area to revive its run-down parts. The revitalization of the Süleymaniye and Zeyrek neighborhoods is a lengthy project that requires a long and meticulous process of cleaning, conservation and restoration .
The historic areas of Istanbul are legally protected by national monument protection laws. There are no special building laws to protect world heritage sites.
In 2006, a department for cultural and natural sites was set up in Istanbul, which is also responsible for the management of the world heritage site.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Entry on the website of the UNESCO World Heritage Center ( English and French ).
- ↑ Decision: CONF 008 XA - Inscription: Historic Areas of Istanbul (Turkey). UNESCO World Heritage Center, 1985, accessed August 17, 2020 .
- ^ Advisory Body Evaluation. ICOMOS, March 10, 2017, accessed on August 17, 2020 .
Heritage: Historic Areas of Istanbul (1985) | Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital (1985) | Ḫattuša - capital of the Hittites (including the Yazılıkaya rock sanctuary ) (1986) | Nemrut Dağı (1987) | Xanthos - Letoon (1988) | Safranbolu Old Town (1994) | Archaeological Site of Troy (1998) | Selimiye Mosque in Edirne (2011) | Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük (2012) | Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the cradle of the Ottoman Empire (2014) | Pergamon and its cultural landscape (2014) | Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape (2015) | Ephesus (2015) | Archaeological site of Ani (2016) | Aphrodisias (2017) | Göbekli Tepe (2018)
Cultural / natural heritage: Göreme National Park and the rock structures of Cappadocia (1985) | Ancient City of Hierapolis - Pamukkale (1988)
Old City of Istanbul | Blachernen Palace | Chora Church | Fatih Mosque | Hagia Irene | Hagia Sophia | Hippodrome | Little Hagia Sophia | Şehzade Mosque | Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque | Suleymaniye Mosque | Sultan Ahmed Mosque | Theodosian Country Wall | Topkapı Palace | Valens Aqueduct | Yedikule | Zeyrek mosque
Coordinates: 41 ° 0 ′ 30.5 ″ N , 28 ° 58 ′ 47.7 ″ E