(AR 732) Mediterranean Cities: History, Spirit and Contemporary Architecture
Urban Squares Planning
Mansheya Square
AHMED MAHROUS SLEEM
Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport
College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Architectural Engineering and Environmental Design
’
INTRODUCTION
One of the most important elements of city design is the
square or plaza. It is possibly the most important Way of
designing a good setting for public and commercial
buildings in cities. This has led some writers to equate
architectural grouping of buildings with, and identical
to, plaza design.1
A square or plaza is both an area framed by buildings
and an area designed to exhibit its buildings to the
greatest advantage. Great civic compositions such as St
Mark’s Square, Venice, St Peter’s Square, Rome, and the
group of squares in Bath by John Wood and his son are
unique in the relationship between space, the
surrounding buildings and the dome of the sky; they
demand an emotional and cerebral response and, as
such, compare with any other art form. There are two
main methods of categorizing squares – by function and
by form. There are numerous examples of recent plaza
design where one or other of these two equally
important criteria of excellence has been neglected. The
empty Windswept place surrounded by under-utilized
buildings is all too common in the modern city, while its
opposite or counterpart, the busy traffic island or
faceless car park around which are scattered collections
of non-related buildings, is also endemic in the urban
scene.
Activity in a square is important for its vitality and,
therefore, also for its visual attraction. Vitruvius when
writing about the design of the forum said it 'should be
proportionate to the number of inhabitants, so that it
may not be too small a space to be useful, nor look like a
‘
‘
desert waste for lack of population’.2 The Renaissance
theorists followed and expanded such statements found
in Vitruvius. For example, Alberti tells us that ‘. . . there
ought to be several squares laid out in different parts of
the city, some for the exposing of merchandises to sale
in time of peace; and others for the exercises proper for
youth; and others for laying up stores in time of war, .He
goes on further to detail the various types of market
square and associates these with zones in the city: ‘The
squares must be so many different markets, one for gold
and silver, another for herbs, another for cattle, another
for wood and so on; each whereof ought to have its
particular different markets,
`
One for gold and silver, another for herbs, another for
cattle, another for wood and so on; each whereof ought
to have its particular place in the city, and its distinct
ornaments.’4 Sitte takes up this point in a number of
places in his treatise ‘. . . that in the Middle Ages and the
different markets, one for gold and silver, another for
herbs, another for cattle, another for wood and so on;
each whereof ought to have its particular` place in the
city, and its distinct ornaments.’4 Sitte takes up this
point in a number of places in his treatise ‘. . . that in the
Middle Ages and the Renaissance there still existed a vi-
tal and functional Use of the town square for community
life and also, of the city. Nevertheless, even in countries
like Britain the square and the street still have an
important Function in the context of urban design. The
types of space needed in a city are: the Setting for a
civic building; the principal meeting Places; places for
 (AR 732) Mediterranean Cities: History, Spirit and Contemporary Architecture
great ceremonial occasions; spaces for entertainment
around buildings such as theatres, Cinemas, restaurants
and cafes; spaces for shopping, Shopping street, arcades
and markets; spaces around which offices are grouped;
spaces of a semi-public Nature around which residential
accommodation is Arranged; and, finally, the spaces
associated with urban traffic junctions.
Some spaces will take on heightened meaning as the
centers or portals for places, while others may serve a
number of overlapping functions. Exhortations for the
isolation, separation and expression of individual
functions associated with the Philosophy of the Modern
Movement, in architecture and city planning. has indeed
proved to be a great disservice to the art of city building.
The products of such thinking, the massive office
complex or the equally extensive shopping precinct
dying when its sole activity ceases, sterilize large areas
of the city making them ‘no-go’ areas in the evening.
The most successful city squares, though they may have
a dominant function for which each is known and by
which they may be classified, are often those that sustain
activity through the diversity of uses in the surrounding
buildings. The single most important function of an
element in the city is the symbolic meaning attached to
it.
All great civic art is in tune with the profound depths of
our emotions. The great plaza, like the great building, is
linked with the world of fantasy, the context of feeling.
There is in all-aesthetic experience, a deep core of
valuation, which owes little to critical judgment. This
primitive's reaction to the world around, including the
built environment,
Is intimately and irrevocably connected to the ways in
which we perceive the human body. This is the basic
building block of urban design. As Scruton points out, it
is to Melanie Klein’s theory of ‘the good and bad breast’
that the designer must turn for a greater understanding of
aesthetic appreciation.6 If, As Klein postulates, human
reactions can be analyzed in terms of infantile views of
the breast, towards the ‘bad breast’ which removes and
disintegrates,
And the ‘good breast’ which nurtures and restores then
all artistic creation is a re-creation of the once-cherished
whole. The artist’s role, and in this the urban designer is
no exception, is the rebuilding of the once-ruined object,
or the 'advancement from childish resentment and loss,
to mature acceptance of a world where giving and
taking, receiving and losing, good and evil, comingle
irredeemably’.7 Acceptance of this principle means the
recognition of symbolism as central to the design
process and also a willingness to manipulate urban form
to achieve meaning in connection with this, a rapport
between square and surrounding public buildings. . . In
short, we miss activity exactly where in Antiquity it was
most animated, that is, around the great public buildings.
A word of warning is necessary at this point. There is
some danger in attempting to transfer design concepts
which may be effective at one particular time, or at one
place or in one culture to a quite different setting. The
great wealth of wonderful squares in Italy may be
explained in part by a combination of climatic
conditions conducive to outdoor living and the
temperamental attitudes characteristic of Italian culture.
These conditions and the outgoing nature of the
Mediterranean peoples led to a public life which in turn
gave form to street and square. The evening parades in
cities like Florence, together with the many other
outdoor community activities, demand the concentration
of design effort in the development of the public
domain. In more northern climes such as our own in
Britain the covered street, the arcade, the covered
atrium, provided it is in community ownership, and, of
course, the public house are important in the life design
process and also a willingness to manipulate urban form
to achieve meaning. The concept of the centre is
probably the single.
And the ‘good breast’ which nurtures and restores then
all artistic creation is a re-creation of the once-cherished
whole. The artist’s role, and in this the urban designer is
no exception, is the rebuilding of the once-ruined object,
or the 'advancement from childish resentment and loss,
to mature acceptance of a world where giving and
taking, receiving and losing, good and evil, comingle
irredeemably’.7 Acceptance of this principle means the
recognition of symbolism as central to the design
process and also a willingness to manipulate urban form
to achieve meaning in connection with this, a rapport
between square and surrounding public buildings. . . In
short, we miss activity exactly where in Antiquity it was
most animated, that is, around the great public
buildings.’5
A word of warning is necessary at this point. There is
some danger in attempting to transfer design concepts
which may be effective at one particular time, or at one
place or in one culture to a quite different setting. The
great wealth of wonderful squares in Italy may be
explained in part by a combination of climatic
conditions conducive to outdoor living and the
temperamental attitudes characteristic of Italian culture.
These conditions and the outgoing nature of the
Mediterranean peoples led to a public life which in turn
gave form to street and square. The evening parades in
cities like Florence, together with the many other
outdoor community activities, demand the concentration
 (AR 732) Mediterranean Cities: History, Spirit and Contemporary Architecture
of design effort in the development of the public
domain. In more northern climes such as our own in
Britain the covered street, the arcade, the covered
atrium, provided it is in community ownership, and, of
course, the public.
Most important idea with which the urban designer
works. Without an understanding of its importance to
man’s perception of the environment only damage can
be inflicted upon the city. Le Corbusier in his book The
Radiant City was advocating the opposite proposition:
‘Demolition of the centre. That is what we have been
insisting upon for years.
And now you are actually doing it! You are actually
doing it! Because it is inevitable.’8 The unholy alliance
of architect, planner and road engineer together with
blind market forces have, in many instances, sapped the
vitality of existing centers in the process of
decentralization and suburbanization of city life. In the
words of the poet Yeats: ‘Things fall apart; the centre
cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.' If
civilization is defined as the culture of living in cities
then Corbusier’s prophesy could well be self-fulfilling
and so strike the death knell of Europe’s proud legacy of
great city building and, with it, the passing of our
distinctive culture, to be replaced by the ‘linear Coca-
cola belt’ stretching from Liverpool to the Ruhr with
individuals isolated in Frank Lloyd Wright’s bland sea
of super suburbia, Broadacre City. an’s perception of
space is centered upon himself. The development of
schemata for the general organization of space based
upon this subjective idea of centre is extended into the
notion of externalized centre as a point of reference in
the environment. This idea of centre is applied to the
‘known’ and friendly’ world, as opposed to the
undifferentiated outside and often hostile world. Each
group has its own centre; the centre of the Muslim world
is Mecca; that of the Catholic world is the Vatican in
Rome; while the world of Judaism is centred in
Jerusalem. At the opposite pole to the concept of public
‘World Centre’.
Personal family centre or, in the words of Norberg-
Schulz: ‘If the centre of the world thus designates an
ideal, public goal, or “lost paradise”, the word "home”
also has a closer and more concrete meaning. It simply
tells us that any man’s personal world has its centre.’10
within these extremes of world and home centers is a
continuum or hierarchy of overlapping centres serving
different communities or groups. It is the design,
physical definition or reinforcement of these centres
which is at the core of the disciplines of architecture,
urban design and planning.
In considering the centre two architectural theorists are
particularly important; Lynch and Alexander. In his
study of the perception of urban structure, The Image of
the City, Lynch found the node to be one of the elements
by which a city is recognized and understood. In short,
the node is an important element which gives the city
‘image ability’ or a strong image.11 As he says: ‘Nodes
are points, the strategic spots in a city into which an
observer can enter, and which are the intensive foci to
and from which he is travelling.’12 Or in other words
the nodes are ‘. . . the conceptual anchor points in our
cities’.13 Alexander makes much the same point: ‘Every
whole must be a “centre” in itself, and must also produce
a system of centres around it.’14 He considers that the
centre tends towards a symmetrical arrangement,
‘.especially bilateral symmetry, similar to that which the
human body has . . .’.15 In this process of centre
formation each new centre endeavours towards
symmetry but never quite achieves it. This struggle
towards a relationship of the centre to the complexities
of the surrounding urban field is an effort to unite it or
make it whole.
This tendency towards ‘unity’, or the ‘making of wholes’,
Alexander sees as the inevitable outcome of an ‘effort to
be true’. In Alexander, centre formation takes on an
almost natural, self-determining goal. If this view holds
then the urban designer is simply working with the grain
of natural forces. Following Lynch’s theories leads also
to a similar position, though he does not stress the
inevitability only the desirability of the process. Nor
does he stress the symmetrical tendency of centers but
he advocates the achievement of identity for the node by
the Portal.
A place has a dual function. It becomes a centre because
it is a goal, a place of pilgrimage, or more mundanely,
somewhere to get the weekly shopping. Just as
significant is that function of a place as a point of
departure; the home is left daily for work while, at the
grand scale, Mecca, when a pilgrimage is complete, is
left behind for home and the daily routine of life. This
tension between centripetal and centrifugal forces is
 (AR 732) Mediterranean Cities: History, Spirit and Contemporary Architecture
most pronounced in the portal, a point made clear by
Alberti: ‘Now if there is another part of the city that falls
in properly with the subject of this book, it is certainly
the haven, which may be defined as a goal or proper
place from. Where you may begin a voyage, or where
having performed it you may put an end to the fatigue of
It, and take repose.’23 the door has been one of the most
important elements in architectural design since
antiquity. We can speak of a door as ‘inviting’ or
‘gaping’. The entrance of the Palazetto Zuccari in Rome
is actually formed as ‘the gaping jaws of a giant’.24 the
transition from one domain to another is also a critical
design problem in structuring the city: ‘. . . we must not
forget the gateway and the importance of marking in
some way the entrances of our towns, our suburbs, our
districts. . . For example, some little forecourt of green
surrounded by buildings and led up to by an avenue of
trees would strike at once the necessary note . . .’25
Alexander, in his search for design patterns, also found
the gateway to be of great importance, making it one of
his design principles: 'Mark every boundary in the city
which has important human meaning – the boundary of
a building luster, a neighborhood, a precinct – by great
gateways where the major entering paths cross the
boundary.’26 His prescriptions include the need to mark
the transition along all paths which penetrate the
boundary of any distinctive place or quarter in much the
same way as Alberti many centuries before: ‘The
principal head and boundary of all highways, whether
within or without the city, unless I am mistaken, is the
gate for those by land, and the haven for those by sea.’27
The function of the city portal may now indeed be quite
different from the ancient gateway, the prime purpose of
which was exclusion. The entrance to the housing
cluster may however be designed to deter those who
may disturb the privacy of the residents. The
organization of the traditional Islamic city into clearly
defined.
THE FORM OF THE SQUARE
There have been a number of attempts to classify the
form that squares may take. Two of the most influential
theories were outlined by Paul Zucker and Sitte. From
his work on squares Zucker was able to distinguish five
archetypal forms: the closed square where the space is
self-contained; the dominated square where the space is
directed towards the main building; the nuclear square
where space is formed around a centre; grouped squares
where spatial units are combined to form larger
compositions; and the amorphous square where space is
unlimited.35 For Sitte, enclosure was taken as the
prerequisite of the square and he concluded that there
were only two types of square in formal terms, the
character of either being determined by the nature of the
dominant building. The two categories of square
distinguished by Sitte were, ‘the deep type and the wide
type.
Development of squares in Istanbul
Taksim Square:-
In the period when Lütfü Kırdar was the mayor, the
most significant transformation planned by Henri Prost,
for Taksim Square, was the demolition of Taksim
Artillery Barracks to build the İnönü Esplanade. The es-
planade was defined as Boulogne Woods of Istanbul.
Now called Gezi Park, İnönü Esplanade was designed as
a starting spot of the second park, which was thought to
be the lungs4 of the planned residential area. In this
respect the demolition of the barracks was one of the e
sential decisions for the master plan of Istanbul.
The orient list facade of Taksim Artillery Barracks
facing the square (Gülersoy, 1986), (right) from air a
view of Taksim Artillery Barracks before the demolition
(Özler, 2007:106)
The firs location proposed for the idea of creating a city
square for the Republic Day Celebrations was not
Taksim but Sultana met. Prost planned to transform the
hippodrome at Sultanahmet into a republican square
similar to Moscow’s Red Square.5 Although this idea
was included in the master plan of Istanbul, there were
two high-school buildings in the area that cannot be
removed in the short run - a problem that stopped the
project going ahead in this location (Bilsel, 2010a).
Prost’s designs for the new republican square in Taksim
included a spectators’ terrace to comm. date large
crowds. He did not propose any changes to the
Independence Monument and the circular city square
around the monument. Prost showed sensitive and
preservative attitude to Monument of independence,
however he disregarded the hi toric Taksim Artillery
Barracks. In his words he d scribed the area as follows;
“The area included the old remains of an old cem tery,
several jerry-built garage buildings, a barracks in ruins,
and a number of shops and cafes around the square
where the monument was located.” (Bi sel, 2010a).
 (AR 732) Mediterranean Cities: History, Spirit and Contemporary Architecture
Prost completed his plan for Taksim Square in 1939. In
his drawings, for the space that emerged after Taksim
Barracks were demo ished, he proposed a terrace
opening up to Taksim Square and an esplanade in its
continuation. At the north end of the esplanade a “Grand
Theater was situated, designed by the French architect
Aguste Perret. The location for the proposed theatre was
occupied by the official residence of the governor of the
electricity distribution Inc. (Çelikgülersoy, 1986). Also
in the plan there are two rows of buil ings along north-
south direction. The symmetrical buildings designed for
the axial geometrical plan of the Inonu Esplanade were,
on the north wing, the Party Head Quarters and on the
south wing.
For Kızılay (the Red Crescent), including a concert and
conference hall (Prost,1997b). With its design, the
drawings of Prost for Inonu Esplanade, reminds Pala is
Royal complex in Paris (Bilsel, 2010a). In Cumhuriyet
newspaper, on 14th of January 1940, it was written that
Prost divided the land in 4 parcels where large scaled,
private and public buildings were going to be built.
By the end of the year 1940, it was reported in
newspapers that for the demolition of Taksim Barracks,
which had been used as Taksim Stadium from 1921, an
inspection plan was going on and the demolition was
planned to be done at four divided sectors of the
barracks. Barracks was to be demolished in 4 stages
both to provide time for dwellers and also for the
football games. The demolition was planned to be
started at the northern wing facing Taksim Garden,
followed by the eastern wing facing Mete Street and
western flank facing Cumhuriy astly
Lastly operation was planned to end with the demolition
of the southern flank looking at the Taksim Square
(Üzümkesici, 2011). With the termination of the football
matches at Taksim Stadium on 25th of March 1940 the
demolitions started. However the demolition of the
Barracks in course of II World War was criticized, since
the building would have been used for refugees
(Üzümkesici, 2011). Disregarding the criticisms, Lütfi
Kırdar had started the demolitions at the rear facade of
the building. When the proposal was submitted the
National Assembly in order to stop the demolition, three
wings of the historic Taksim Artillery Barrack had
already been demolished in accordance with Kırdar’s
orders (Üzümkesici, 2011). The barrack, was built in
1806 as a part of Ottoman military reforms under the
reign of Selim III (Atabeyoğlu, 1995). Serving as a
military practicing ground, the building was standing on
the vast open area of Talimhane Ground. With the
expansion of the city, Beyoğlu Disitrict become an
attraction point for the city and inside and around the
barracks, Taksim Square hosted diverse social activities.
By the begining of 19th century with its new function as
a football stadium, the Taksim Barracks became the
major field where league matches were played
(Atabeyoğlu, 1995). During the stadium years, other
sports, such as athletics, boxing and wrestling were also
performed and the building prepared the ground for the
flux of crowds (Atabeyoğlu, 1995).
After the demolison of Taksim Artillery Barracks, Prost
plan was not implemented entirely. Buildings on both
sides were removed to obtain a large park area and
promenade terraces. The North of the esplanade ended
with Taksim Garden and it was connected to Park No.2
with a pedestrian bridge. Also a Municipal designed by
Rüknettin Günay, was built on the north eastern corner
of Taksim Garden (Istanbul Municipality, 1957).
The Inonu Esplanade prepared for 30August Victory
Day, 30 Augustus, 1942, Son Posta Newspaper
After the demolition of the barracks and the construction
of Prost plan for Taksim Square, the new square
received positive reviews however the project also
provoked negative reactions from several newspapers
about its location which is in the heart of the new
quarters rather than in Old Istanbul. His project was also
criticized because it coincided with the II World War.
On 5 March 1940, Cumhuriyet Newspaper published an
article titled “The matter: What we need is a zoning plan
or a defense plan?” Looking back to that time from
today, it is also very interesting that there were no
reactions for the demolition of Taksim Artillery
Barracks regarding it is historic monumental structure.
As it is today, in 1940s, critical discussions for the
planning of Istanbul were disregarded and many historic
monuments carrying the public memory have been
demolished and critical approaches have remained in the
background.
The Inonu Esplanade in 1940s and 1980s (Gülersoy,
1986:54,55)
Nowadays new projects for the reconstruction of the old
Taksim Artillery Barracks are being discussed. Intel-
lectuals are discussing the project proposing
underground highways to Taksim Square creating a
huge inhumane square. The project also includes the
reconstruction of Taksim Artillery Barracks by
 (AR 732) Mediterranean Cities: History, Spirit and Contemporary Architecture
demolishing Inonu Esplanade, now called Gezi Park.
The attempt to demolish Gezi Park is a repetition of the
past. Just in one century the public memory of the land
will be lost again. It is hoped that the discussions and
demonstrations by opposers will not remain in the
background and will lead to questioning before
implementing grand projects and demolitions.
Taksim Square is indeed the heart of present day’s
Istanbul, as the main centre of all activities and of the
city’s transportation system. With the monument of
Atatürk as the symbol of the modern Turkish Republic,
Taksim Square is hosting meetings, celebrations,
concerts, attracting a considerable section of Istanbul's
population. One of the city’s main avenues- to-day’s
“İstiklal caddesi” (avenue of Independence), the former
“Grand Rue de Péra” or Cadde-i Kebir” along which
residences of the elite Levantines of the Ottoman era
were concentrated- joins the Square at one end.The aim
of this study is to summarize the transformation of the
Taksim Square, today’s center of Istanbul and to point
out the breaking points in that change, thus opening a
discussion about the causal factors per era. Within this
context, the subject is being treated under two headings,
namely “the era of graveyards” an “the era of the square”
Taksim Square, with a panorama including the Üsküdar
landscape on the Asian shore, the Leander’s Tower and
the entrance to the Bosporus. Graveyards in the East,
unlike the Western tradition, are integral parts of daily
lives. This peculiar approach, coupled with the arborous
green graveyards’ beautiful view and their proximity to
the narrow streets of Peru, facilitated the area’s
transformation into a public strolling place. Baron de
Bussiére, secretary to the French ambassador of the
period, depicts this setting as an area where even the
highest trees cannot obscure the view of the Bosphorus
on the left and the Princes’ Islands and the Topkapı
Palace on the right, presenting a beautiful expanse of
scenery (Gülersoy,1986). In the 18th century, signs of
change in the area’s function started to appear with the
noticeable example of a coffee-house serving the
strollers (Gülersoy,1986). Thus, the passive green land
started to transform into an active green area.
The first construction in the region was the “Maksem”
which was the reservoir for storing and distributing the
city’s water, supplied from the northern forests. In fact,
the name of the square,”Taksim”, meaning “to divide”,
was derived from this portioning of water for distribu-
tion. Built by decree of Sultan Mahmut I, in 1732-33,
this building can stil be seen at the junction of “İstiklal
caddesi” and the “Taksim Square”. Maksem was the
most prominent building in the region until the middle
of the 19th century, when the Ottoman government
ordered removal of the Catholic and Protestant graves in
the Grand Cemetery and commanded construction of
“Taksim Topçu Kışlası” (Taksim Artillery Barracks) ,
“Taşkışla” (Stone Barracks) and the Military Hospital on
the area (Laqueur, 1993).
The Surp Hagop Armenian cemetery is represented with
its original boundaries in the 1922 city plan , while the
Muslim graveyard was reduced to two bands alongside
the İnönü caddesi (Laqueur, 1993) . Graves in the
Ayaspaşa Moslem cemetery were completely removed
in 1925. In the beginning of 1938, the İstanbul
municipality first evacuated the Surp Hagop cemetery
and the area was later allocated to apartment houses and
parks (Miroğlu, 2009). The demolition of the graveyard
was completed in 1939 and the unpossesed remnants of
tombstones were used in the steps of the park and in the
restoration of the E inönü square (Miroğlu,2009).
Were completely evacuated and the courtyard was
transformed into the first urban stadium of Istanbul,
hosting football matches. During the same epoch, the
plain of Talimhane was divided into parcels with grid
plans overwhich apartment buildings started to rise.
Taksim attained its city square status upon the erection
of the Taksim monument which became the symbol of a
new era , of the young Republic. During the Ottoman
period, there existed no monuments in the present day's
sense of the word except for some civil edifices of
religious, administrative or social functions.
Ceremonies taking place around a monument were
peculiar to western societies.
There was no such Ottoman tradition (Gülersoy, 1986).
This need arose around the first half of the 19th century,
with the advent of the Ottoman westernization
movement that started with the declaration of Tanzimat
in 1839, and culture importation from the west. During
this period, the Ottoman government attempted to create
the image of a “westernized city” by planning great
 (AR 732) Mediterranean Cities: History, Spirit and Contemporary Architecture
avenues, boulevards and squares, reorganizing the urban
texture according to the rules of geometry (Bilsel, 2007).
This trend gained momentum during the first years of
the modern Republic and found a visual expression in
the setting of the monument, when Taksim plain, near
the newly developing western Pera was chosen instead
of the former center of Istanbul on the historical
peninsula. The governors of the young Turkish Republic
aimed to create a new Istanbul that turned away from the
neglected, partially demolished Ottoman capital, worn
out by the first World War, foreign occupation, frequent
fires and economic problems which had become
apparent at the turn of the 20th century. In place of the
old city center symbolizing the Ottoman identity, a
Square and a monument representing the Republic were
planned at Taksim, neighboring Pera that hosted the
“western” population of Istanbul, closely resembling
contemporary European cities, with its architecture and
everyday life. Designed by the Italian sculptor Canonica
the monument was inaugurated on August 8, 1928 with
celebrations.
At the time of İsmet İnönü, the second president of the
Republic, in 1940, the mayor of Istanbul, Dr. Lütfi
Kırdar, with advisory help from the famous urban
planner, Henri Proust, started developmental activities
of wide scope. Within this context, the Taksim Square
was re-organized with a modern style. “Topçu Kışlası”
was demolished and the area of 26,000 square meters
thus obtained was transformed into to-day’s Taksim
Park, otherwise known as “İnönü Promenade” The
mayor,in those days, asserted to have been under the
impression of the Parisian parks, “Jardin des Tuileries”
and “Jardin du Luxembourg” and that “İnönü
Promenade” was indeed a public strolling place
(Gülersoy, 1986) .
Taksim Square, with its expanding borders, became the
venue for social events, protesting crowds and
demonstrations as well as for official ceremonies and
Parades. Two blatant examples are the Wagons-Lits
event of 1933 and the May 1 tragedy of 1977.The fast
rising buildings around the Square and its focal function
of connecting the old and the new settlements of the city
together with the construction of the opera building,
contributed to the place’s new character of a cultural
centre. The opera building’s construction took a long
time: The works started in 1946 and completed in 1969.
The building had to undergo serious reparation after the
fire of 1970 and re-opened as “Atatürk Cultural Centre”
in 1972.
Taksim is within the district of Pera which once was a
rich, colorful place with western tastes. The greater part
of the city’s Greek minority lived there. However, the
September 6-7 events of 1955 and the strained Turkish-
Greek relations over the Cyprus dispute in the 1960s
drove many of the Greeks to leave Istanbul. Some of the
residents of the region had also to leave for economical
difficulties hindering the upkeep of their houses. The
rich shops, restaurants, cafes, theatres closed upand the
splendour was no more. Then, a new group of people
started to inhabit these partly abandoned houses. These
were the “new citizens” the job-seeking rural people who
had moved to Istanbul. The decrepit, abandoned houses
provided cheap housing. These “new citizens” brought
with them their ways of living, their habits, their
memories all of which amalgamated with the remnant
urban manners to result in a new sub-culture. A
reflection of this cultural diffusion was in the streets of
Beyoğlu (the former Pera) where alcohol, drugs and
prostitution endured the area “insecure and dangerous”
especially after sunset.
There was a new development in the 1980s. These
emigrated families living in Beyoğlu, feeling more like
settled “citizens” and having acquired means to provide
better living conditions for themselves, started to favour
the recently expanding common housing projects and
move to the new apartment blocks, gradually
Abandoning the historical Pera. In 1990s, the social
transformations together with İstanbul’s becoming the
centre of the service sector and nostalgia for the old
Beyoğlu, started to appeal to artists,
students and many old natives of the city. İstiklal cad-
desi and its surroundings were being re-discovered and
new restaurants,cafes, cinema houses appeared. Gradu-
ally, the district has been transformed primarily into an
area for tourists. İstiklal cad desi which is the main axis,
became exclusively pedestrian, contributing to the area's
becoming the centre of attraction of the city. Taksim-
Square is situated at one end of this axis and is one of
the main focal points in the European side of Istanbul.
Taksim Square Design Project
Taksim Square in the entire arrangement will be less
traffic and no cars pass through the square.
 (AR 732) Mediterranean Cities: History, Spirit and Contemporary Architecture
During the studies, the direction of traffic Tarlabaşı-War
over Taksim Square, Mete Street and Soldier Center
Street and Avenue of the Republic (Divan Hotel in
front), in the direction of War-Tarlabaşı Cumhuriyet
Caddesi (Divan Hotel in front), Abdulhakhamit Street
and was Tarlabaşı.
Some citizens were walking on roads closed to vehicular
traffic.
Square pedestrianization project Tarlabaşı Boulevard
along the Avenue of the Republic of vehicle traffic will
be underground.
Tarlabaşı the tools, seamless War, Taskisla, go from
Dolmabahçe. Gümüşsuyu, Sıraselviler access Mete
Street-The Marmara Hotel in front of the surface to be
provided in front of AKM out. 400 meters on the street
in the direction of the Republican Tarlabaşı-War, War-
Tarlabaşı length of 320 meters in the direction of a
single tunnel to be done. Monument around the vehicle
traffic, buses and bus shelters to be removed from the
square. Travel Park, SS front, Talimhane and reach
Istiklal Street pedestrian traffic without interruption. Car
underpass, Tarlabaşı Boulevard in the direction of the
car parking presently, the Court will continue until the
front of the hotel. Thus, Taksim, about 100 thousand
square meters, will have a square.
Sultanahmet Meydani Square Design Project
The area is officially called Sultan Ahmet Square. It is
maintained by the Turkish federal government. The
course of the old racetrack has been indicated with
paving, although the actual track is some 2 m (6.6 ft)
below the present surface. The surviving monuments of
the Spina (the middle barrier of the racecourse), the two
obelisks and the Serpentine Column, now sit in holes in
a landscaped garden.
The German Fountain ("The Kaiser Wilhelm Fountain"),
an octagonal domed fountain in neo-Byzantine style,
which was constructed by the German government in
1900 to mark the German Emperor Wilhelm II's visit to
Istanbul in 1898, is located at the northern entrance to
the Hippodrome area, right in front of the Blue
Mosque.
The Hippodrome was excavated by the Director of the
Istanbul Archeological Museums, archeologist Rüstem
Duyuran in 1950 and 1951. A portion of the
substructures of the Sphendone (the curved end) became
more visible in the 1980s with the clearing of houses in
the area. In 1993 an area in front of the nearby
Sultanahmet Mosque (the Blue Mosque) was bulldozed
in order to install a public building, uncovering several
rows of seats and some columns from the Hippodrome.
Investigation did not continue further, but the seats and
columns were removed and can now be seen in
Istanbul's museums. It is possible that much more of the
Hippodrome's remains still lie beneath the parkland of
Sultanahmet.
DELVELOPMENT OF EL MASHYA SQUARE
Originated this region of space is specified in 1838, and
was known as Palace D Armies and was probably used
for special military, and there was in the middle of this
field, which Francesco designed (Aqranzescu
Mancinameslh small fountain in a limb and buildings
were located on this field is characterized by motifs
European and wasa housing for consuls and wealthy
merchants and money men (1), and agencies were the
facilities commonly used in this field for a large or field
consuls as Grand Palace called Villa after. this has
Alexandria Municipal create gardens new French that
linked the field and turned his name to Muhammad
the interface of water for the city through 1920, has been
increased - from 1900. attention field and especially
after a project to improve the scope of the city of
Alexandria in 1921, which was implemented during the
period from 1924-1927 AD and which was created
Memorial Khedive Ismail in 1927 (Memorialthe
unknown soldier now) and after the 1958 revolution
stove was the linking field - July 1952 was developed
comprehensive planning for the city (1956 turned his
name into the field of hero Ahmed Orabi station marine
passenger newly created during that period by a road
 (AR 732) Mediterranean Cities: History, Spirit and Contemporary Architecture
width of 30 m called penguin victory for the linking
field downtown.
El-Manshia square considered of the oldest fields in
Alexandria as explained in advance and is currently
considered the main city center and its importance stems
from being a vital and important part of the movement
in the city center and connects the east of the city and
the west. It also represents a commercial and
administrative heart of the city center area. Th e field is
divided into two parts, one which Tahrir Square is
bounded on the south Tawfiq Street and extending it
until the field to Victory Road and north Sharif Street
and its extension to the field and beyond France Street.
The vertical part upon a field of Orabi He enjoys
northern facade freely open to the eastern harbor and
there is the monument of the Unknown Soldier, one of
the signs of the historic city of Alexandria.
The current status of the field and its
problems:
- That overlapping movement mechanism and the most
important humanitarian effects due:
- The movement of guided tram others and Ptqatr
irregular and non-urban.
- The movement of undecided (infantry) is an
organization or directed.
- Lack of parking sites commensurate with the need of
the field, important buildings and vital.
- Infringement of buildings and landscaping ads and
tram and bus stations.
- Distortion facades of buildings overlooking the field of
shop owners and different professions.
- Optical distortion resulting from ads and banners and
electricity wires in and around the field.
- Poor sidewalks, Bardorat and railing.
Hence the interest in the study and re-development of
this vital artery to return to the old image Beraatha and
beauty, as well as access to the efficiency of labor and
functional, economic and cultural toward benefit the
development of the basis for the development of.
New proposal
To develop the concept of the urban environment of the
field and how to deal with its problems develop a
general scenario for the development plan:
Depends primarily on several analytical points due
study:
- Historical environment of the field and the extent of
the nobility of this historic site and extends across
several eras passed on
City
- Restrictions on the location and movement
characteristics and scale and landscape that resulted in
And also voids the region and its harmonic relationship
with the surrounding buildings.
- Waterfront Square, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea
through the Eastern Harbour, where they form in the end
Same hub visually important as they give depth to the
field and here air currents play an important role in
Reducing noise and affect the organic link to the region.
(The relationship between the axes of movement and by
Corniche).
- Land use in the region, which is dominated by
commercial and administrative capacity and also
interferes with residential
Uses some crafts and government buildings of glenoid
(the civil court building)
And the real estate and the surrounding area of the gold
market and Rue sixes and salary market and streets.
Placing the first rank of commercial services to the
population.
- Movement, roads and fields of Corniche Road and
Avenue Mohamed Karim Sharif Street
Tawfiq and field-related Ahmed Orabi Street Triomphe
and Avenue France the most important ways related
public
Field and is ranked second street perpendicular to the
field of Eastern and Western trends
And South America.
- The urban framework and planning decisions and
urban design.
Which already clear spatial profile of the field and the
historical dimension and changes occurred Mguethma
Avqdtha
Those personal and showed fragmentation and overlap,
which hit pollutants sensory and visual and auditory and
other
- Urban manifestations others. Hence the urban
framework should be divided into two groups of
decisions.
 (AR 732) Mediterranean Cities: History, Spirit and Contemporary Architecture

Master plan

3D SHOTS
 (AR 732) Mediterranean Cities: History, Spirit and Contemporary Architecture

9. Development Type – Urban Squares

CONCLUSION
10. Project for Public Spaces, 2009, Great Civic Spaces. Essay
The public square is probably still the most important available on line at
element in city design; it is the chief method by which a www.pps.org. New York.
town or city is both decorated and given distinction. It is
the natural setting for the most important civic and
religious buildings, a place for fine sculpture, fountains 11. Gehl, J. 1987, Life between Buildings, Using Public
and lighting and, above all else, a place where people Space, VanNostrand Reinhold
meet and socialize. When such public places are Company, New York.
designed according to some fairly basic principles and
are imbued with a sense of place, they take on an added
symbolic meaning. The most important physical quality 12. U r b a n D e s i g n P r i n c i p l e s
of such spaces is enclosure. The methods of enclosure a n d D eve l o p m e n t G u i d e l i n e slacemaking sUrban
are many though the principles are few. Design Center of Northeast Ohio

13. Istanbul guideline

REFERENCES

1. THE SQUARE IN SPACE AND TIME

PART 1// CLASSIFICATION AND TYPOLOGIES,KAISA
KANGUR / MIRKO TRAKS

2. THE PLANNING COMMITTEE ,CITY OF EDINBURGH

COUNCIL

3. What is happening in Turkey? ,Taksim Transformation

Project and Its Unexpected Consequences ,Res.Asst.Duygu
Cihanger .Middle East Technical University

TRANSFORMATION OF PUBLIC SQUARES OF

ISTANBUL BETWEEN 1938-1949, t h INT E RNAT
IONA L P L ANNING HIS TORY SOCIE T Y CONFE
RENCE

5. Complexity versus sustainability in urban space:

The case of Taksim Square, Istanbul ,Omar EREM, Elmira
GÜR ŞENER, Istanbul Technical University Faculty of
Architecture Istanbul TURKEY

6. Four Squares and Streets Investment Plan ,Part of the

Coalville’s Changing Programme

7. Sorlin, Francios, Europe, The Comprehensive Effort “ The

Conservation of Cities”, The UNESCO Press, 1975, Paris

8. STORY OF TAKSIM SQUARE’S TRANSFORMATION:

“FROM DEATH’S STILLNESS TO LIFE’S HUBBUB”
Bahçeşehir University, Faculty of Architecture and
Design1,Bahçeşehir University, Faculty of
Architecture and Design