Degeneration of socio-urban fabric at Yenikapı and proposals for rehabilitation

This paper aimed to discuss urban conservation challenges along the axes of two streets in the neighborhood of Yenikapı leading towards Kumkapı. The Yenikapı area of the historic peninsula of Istanbul is known to have been inhabited since prehistoric times, and it was the site of an important late antiquity port. Many cultural assets, including monuments from a number of periods and nineteenth century houses, remain in the area, but jarring changes have occurred due to newly built constructions, town planning decisions, and the development of public transport. Before any proposal for future area conservation activities, the current state of conservation was inspected through onsite analyses conducted along Paşazade, İmrahor Hamamı, and Sepetçi Selim streets. By analyzing the pressures affecting the historical peninsula, the challenges in the conservation effort of the study area were determined, followed by some proposals for its enhancement and general conservation. The paper stems from the studio of Urban Preservation-Conservation for Graduate Studies Programme, which was run between February and June 2019 under the coordination of the authors. Highlighting the value of the cultural heritage and historic importance of the area, revitalization to preserve the urban character was suggested. The current state of conservation was investigated through recent onsite analyses, one of the most important tasks in understanding the integrity and authenticity of the area.