REPORT of Turkish Survey Group 4

Spatial Analysis on a Local Scale

The Subgroup "Spatial Analysis on a Local Scale" of Group 4 conducted an on-site survey of Turkish cities.

Survey Period: September 19, 1997 to October 6, 1997
Survey Participants: Asami, Magaribuchi, Egawa, Oikawa, Arai, Iwasaki, Toyoshima
Cities Surveyed: Safranbolu, Ankara, Izmir, Balikesir, Bursa, Istanbul

Content of Survey
1) Maps and documents
We collected maps of Turkish cities, focusing on maps showing city blocks, road networks, contour lines and the locations of major facilities. In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of urban areas while conducting a survey of a relatively limited area, we tried to collect maps which would make it possible to reproduce the locations of structures and the exact topography of the land on a city-wide scale. In order to make it possible to do analysis over time, older maps of cities were also collected. We plan to make a data base of geographical information using these maps.
2) Recording of the structural landscape
Two and three-dimensional spatial positioning data for a city was gathered using GPS and altitude-metering data, and a video was made of the landscape sequence (a continuous elevation showing both sides of the streets) which corresponds to this data. A continuous elevation can be made using the recorded images and it is therefore very useful in scenery analysis. In addition, the size of constructions may be determined. Therefore, by combining the spatial information of the data base mentioned in 1) above, it is expected that progress will be made in the areas of 3-dimensional urban spatial representation and positional analysis. Due to the difficulty in receiving satellite communications from the ground, especially in narrow streets, we often lost touch with the satellite, making it difficult to obtain useful data.
3) Survey of inside and outside of housing
A survey was conducted targeting the area surrounding as well as the inside of typical Turkish houses. This survey took into special consideration the structure of the living space in areas with a sharp grade, a characteristic which can be said to be typical of Turkish cities. The following items were surveyed.
(1) Survey of the layout of individual housing;
(2) Oral survey of inhabitants. Use of rooms and daily life etc.;
(3) Distribution of houses and yards in the survey area, relationship between streets and houses, entrance from the street, relationship to adjacent houses;
(4) Differences caused by differing land topography (steep grade, unstable slope, flat area).
Based on the results of this survey, we plan to make positional maps, plans, elevations and sections and consider the relationship between lifestyles and the configuration of space.
4) Theories on Turkish research and joint research
We held meetings on joint research with Turkish researchers concerning the configuration of urban space.

Safranbolu
In Safranbolu, there are older parts of the city where traditional houses are well-preserved and new city areas lined with modern buildings. These two areas are located quite far apart. Old buildings in the older part have been converted into other uses such as hotels, but the interior of many of the buildings has been left relatively unchanged. There is an area of the newer city part that was first developed by people of Greek descent where there are stone window frames and door frames and the designs of the buildings are quite different. In this city where traditional Turkish town scenery still remains, the city streets are divided into two sections. There is the valley which runs north and south and there is also a plateau. In the valley section of town, city facilities developed along the lines of the valley and groups of houses are situated on the side of the valley. In Traditional Turkish houses, first floors are rather closed space made of accumulated rocks. On upper floors, however, through the bay windows, one can see the beautiful scenery of the entire valley, thanks to the advantageous location on the slope. Old residents of Safranbolu have two houses, the "summer houses" and the "winter houses". The area where many summer houses are located is up the hill from the older part of the city. Buildings such as apartments can be seen in the new area between the two, known as Krankoy. Most relatively new residents have only one house. However, many Turks, not only residents of Safranbolu, have or hope to have a summer house in addition to the one they live in normally.

Ankara
Held discussion with the staff of the Department of Urban Planning of the Middle East Technical University. We spoke with the Chief of the Office of Construction at the Office of City Planning in the city of Ankara and recieved documents related to the Gecekondu area of Ankara. We inquired about the redeveloping area called Sentepe (approximately 525 ha) at the office there. In 1986, the country legally gave 400 square meters of land to those who had illegally occupied it. However, those who occupied land necessary for city planning purposes were given other land or reimbursed monetarily. For the survey of Kale, with the exception of the scale, the Gecekondu area was similar to the spacial configuration of the downtown part of Safranbolu. In recent years, a large-scale shopping center was established below the mosque built in Ankara. This shopping area is shaped like Ameyoko market in Ueno or the market in front of Honganji in Tsukiji in Tokyo. It is necessary to explore these similarities and distinctively Asian characteristics further. Differences in style have arisen between Turkish mosques which attempt to preserve the outside appearance and the Arab mosques (in Arab marketplaces, the stores hide the outside walls of the mosque, surrounding it and seeming to almost bury it) which do not place much importance on the outside, but rather emphasize the holiness of the internal space.

Izmir
Sirince: This is a town which was settled by people of Greek descent. The method of construction is slightly different.
The Kale area of Izmir: Near the Kale (castle), there is a meandering highway set in the slope and a foot path attached to it on the steep grade. During the survey there were many children there. Apparently, there is a rope set up which the children are not allowed to cross. Because the houses are set on a slope, many of them are entered by climbing stairs from the street to the entrance door. Camii minarets can be seen on several of the streets. The Bazaar area of Izmir: There is a fan-shaped developed area on a plain near the coastline. A sloped residential area facing the plateau on which Kale castle stands spreads outward from there. In the central open area stands a mosque and a public fountain and stores selling fresh food line the area. This space is used efficiently due to its separation of the sacred and the mundane by levels. The mosque and its surrounding stores are on the first level while the second level is the place of worship.

Balikesir
Taskoy: Small village of 20 houses and a population of 170-180. In the surrounding areas the main industry is agriculture and corn, grapes and olives are harvested. To the west, tobacco, wheat, barley and tomatoes are also harvested. There was a woolen mill here until about 40 years ago.
Pasakoy: 120 families, population 1300. Melons, wheat, barley, tomatoes, corn and broad beans are harvested. Sheep and dairy cattle are also raised. The population has risen due to a paper mill being constructed nearby. Some workers who moved here from outside had relatives here. We were shown an old farmhouse with partitioned walls. This is the oldest house in the village. The husband lives there with his mother, wife and two children (a boy and a girl). The farm itself is some distance from the farmhouse. In the part of the structure where the gate and fence meet there is a room where the mother of the husband sleeps and another room where she rests during the day. A courtyard is enclosed between this part and the part where the family lives. There is a well and a oven for baking bread, but neither are used now.
Degirmen (named Persi koy until 1945): 300 families, population 1200-1500. Melons, wheat, soy beans, cotton, tobacco and beets are grown. Sheep, goats and dairy cattle are also raised. There is a borax mine and two mosques. The newer mosque and the new elementary school were built by people who returned from Germany and went on the haj (pilgrimage to Mecca). There is a cave called Magara (it is said that this was made by the Greeks to observe the village) at the top of the slope. The village is very green and looks prosperous. We went to see some farmland owned by the village called Doganci. It is situated in an area lower than the village. There is a river there and older maps refer to it as "Doganci Farm". It is now a privately owned field. There were a few pumpkins, watermelons and melons there, but the harvest had been finished. There are many people here who have returned from working in Germany.
We went to Balikesir University and met professors and the head of the Surveying Section. We also met the head of the Department. The university preserves historical buildings and we were allowed to copy documents related to buildings. At the city office, after a courtesy visit to the deputy mayor, we met architects.

Bursa
Bursa, which was the Ottoman capital, is an old city with many beautiful areas. We visited the graves of the founders of the Ottoman Empire and their descendants and saw the Urcamii and the bazaar around that area. There were several han (caravan camps) gathered there. Urcamii is quite a large Islamic temple. There are also groups of old houses nearby. At the Bursa city office, we met the Chief of City Planning. They are currently in the process of introducing GIS. The Bursa metropolitan area is divided into three sections in which detailed city planning takes place. Maps are made of the master plan to 25,000 to 1 and 5,000 to 1 scale and application plan maps of each section are made at 1,000 to 1 scale. There was a large fire in the bazaar area in 1958 which caused much damage. The city has collected documents pertaining to the bazaar and a list thereof can be viewed at the library. We met the Chief of City Planning and received a map. The population of Bursa is 1.2 million. Approximately half are migrant construction workers without permits called Kacaks. We met the Section Chief of the city Computer Information Center. Aerial photographs have been digitized. For local self-governing bodies, the main source of income is construction tax and garbage tax, so surveying construction is very important. Construction companies provide and compile GPS data. A population census is conducted by the Planning Department every 5 years and the data is updated using the results. The GIS data base map is made on a 1,000 to 1 scale, but 5,000 to 1 scale maps are used for some locations. Most city street maps are made using a 1,000 to 1 scale base. Commercial space in Bursa: In the center of the city, on the foot of the soft east slope of the Hisal area, a residential area has been developed. Our survey included the location and relationship to the slope of Han, Bedesten (the present location of the precious metals bazaar), Hamamu, Charushu (bazaar) and the positioning at precise angles of the han, mosque and hamamu as well as the changes in the uses of these structures in recent times.

Istanbul
We met Professor Kubat of Istanbul Technical University. We discussed the outline of the project, necessary information, and joint research with her. Here, we explained the research done on the road network, and residential space patterns. It would cost approximately $15,000 to obtain remote sensing data of 10 meter accuracy for the entire Istanbul area. In 1997, 3,850 maps were collected. The maps produced from digitized aerial maps were of 4,000 to 1 scale but they cost 60 billion lira to get a complete map of Istanbul. The city of Istanbul keeps data on buildings, ownership, geographical features, traffic networks, urbanized areas and height of buildings. According to the person in charge of spacial data at the Istanbul city office, they have land register maps (streets, buildings and public land), topographical maps and detailed area maps. Contour maps of 1/5,000 and 1/1,000 scale may be obtained with permission from the armed forces. We received a map of the historical building area renovation project. We visited the Remote Sensing Section of the Civil Engineering Department of Istanbul University of Engineering. They showed us part of the research they are conducting with cooperation from Russia. The data cannot leave Turkey, so russian researchers conduct research in Turkey. Data is prepared by merging 10 meter resolution spot data (black & white) and 30 meter resolution TM data (7 band=color). Commercial space: The han on the slope features a Grand Bazaar and an Egyptian Bazaar. In the wholesale shop area, due to the topography of the land, (plains and slopes), we can see different shapes and different relationships of the han and the streets. The difference between the courtyard level and the outer street level is as much as several meters in many places. The level han centers around the mosque on the seaside. The streets of the main han such as Han line the slope. Both types of han usually have a traditional shape with a courtyard and a hallway on the second level facing and surrounding the han. However, the proportion, area, and height of the courtyard of the two han are different. The mosque in the commercial area has a beautiful internal wall made of tile and has a place of worship on the second level. There are narrow streets with stands and wholesale stores in the area around the first level. This is an area of heavy traffic by people and cars but the second level is a sacred place dominated by the mosque.

This report was compiled from the records of the participants. (by ASAMI Yasushi)