An Evaluation of Mardin’s Current Urbanisation Practices and Public Opportunities

Zemzem Taşgüzen Polat; Berat Çelebioğlu

Article Details

An Evaluation of Mardin’s Current Urbanisation Practices and Public Opportunities

Authors:

Zemzem Taşgüzen Polat | Berat Çelebioğlu

Publisher:

Ahmet FİDAN

Main Topics:

Yapılı Çevrenin Tarihi ve Teorisi | Mimari Tarih | Teori ve Eleştiri | Mimari Tasarım

Journal:

Kent Akademisi Vol.18 Issue 2, pp.1087-1111

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

3/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001342035

pISSN:

2146-9229

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Although the urbanization mechanisms that seek to transform Mardin into a center of attraction highlight a narrative of settlement and urban imagery in harmony with the topography, such imagery and its associated narratives do not go beyond creating a nostalgic perspective on Old City of Mardin. For this reason, both the Old Town, which was declared an urban protected area, and the New Town, which has shown an intense urbanization characteristic since the 1990s, are subjected to urbanization practices with different purposes but similar destructiveness. This study aims to discuss Mardins urbanization practices, to draw a framework for the current state of the city, and to discuss the importance of increasing public opportunities. As a way to improve public opportunities, it is important that micro-communities in the city collaborate and create new proposals from within the everyday practices of urbanites. One of these communities, a community that produces ideas and projects for the city, is the project team of Mardin Artuklu University Department of Architecture. The study method is based on fieldwork and literature research. The research and projects developed during the 2019-2020 Spring Semester Project 5-6 and 2020-2021 Fall Semester Project 4-5 of Mardin Artuklu University Department of Architecture formed the basis for the fieldwork. As the findings of the study, problems related to Mardins current urbanization practices were identified and new public opportunities for Mardin were put forward in the light of the projects developed.

 Although the urbanization mechanisms that seek to transform Mardin into a center of attraction highlight a narrative of settlement and urban imagery in harmony with the topography, such imagery and its associated narratives do not go beyond creating a nostalgic perspective on Old City of Mardin. For this reason, both the Old Town, which was declared an urban protected area, and the New Town, which has shown an intense urbanization characteristic since the 1990s, are subjected to urbanization practices with different purposes but similar destructiveness. This study aims to discuss Mardins urbanization practices, to draw a framework for the current state of the city, and to discuss the importance of increasing public opportunities. As a way to improve public opportunities, it is important that micro-communities in the city collaborate and create new proposals from within the everyday practices of urbanites. One of these communities, a community that produces ideas and projects for the city, is the project team of Mardin Artuklu University Department of Architecture. The study method is based on fieldwork and literature research. The research and projects developed during the 2019-2020 Spring Semester Project 5-6 and 2020-2021 Fall Semester Project 4-5 of Mardin Artuklu University Department of Architecture formed the basis for the fieldwork. As the findings of the study, problems related to Mardins current urbanization practices were identified and new public opportunities for Mardin were put forward in the light of the projects developed.

 Although the urbanization mechanisms that seek to transform Mardin into a center of attraction highlight a narrative of settlement and urban imagery in harmony with the topography, such imagery and its associated narratives do not go beyond creating a nostalgic perspective on Old City of Mardin. For this reason, both the Old Town, which was declared an urban protected area, and the New Town, which has shown an intense urbanization characteristic since the 1990s, are subjected to urbanization practices with different purposes but similar destructiveness. This study aims to discuss Mardins urbanization practices, to draw a framework for the current state of the city, and to discuss the importance of increasing public opportunities. As a way to improve public opportunities, it is important that micro-communities in the city collaborate and create new proposals from within the everyday practices of urbanites. One of these communities, a community that produces ideas and projects for the city, is the project team of Mardin Artuklu University Department of Architecture. The study method is based on fieldwork and literature research. The research and projects developed during the 2019-2020 Spring Semester Project 5-6 and 2020-2021 Fall Semester Project 4-5 of Mardin Artuklu University Department of Architecture formed the basis for the fieldwork. As the findings of the study, problems related to Mardins current urbanization practices were identified and new public opportunities for Mardin were put forward in the light of the projects developed.

 Mardini bir cazibe merkezine dönüştürmeye çalışan kentleşme mekanizmaları onu, topoğrafyayla uyumlu bir yerleşme anlatısı ve kent imgesiyle öne çıkarsa da bu türden imgeler ve ilişkili olduğu anlatılar Eski Mardine dair nostaljik bir bakış açısı oluşturmanın ötesine geçmez. Bu nedenle hem kentsel sit alanı ilan edilen Eski Kent, hem de 1990lı yıllarla birlikte yoğun bir kentleşme özelliği göstermiş olan Yeni Kent, farklı amaçlarla ama benzer yıkıcılıkta kentleşme pratiklerine maruz kalır. Bu çalışma, Mardin güncel kentleşme pratiklerine dair bir çerçeve çizmeyi ve kamusal olanakların önemini tartışmayı amaçlamıştır. Kamusal olanakların geliştirilmesinin bir yolu olarak kentteki mikro toplulukların iş birliği yapması ve kentlilerin gündelik pratiklerinin içinden yeni önerilerin yaratılması önemlidir. Bu topluluklardan biri, kent için fikir ve projeler üretenMardin Artuklu Üniversitesi Mimarlık Bölümü öğrencileridir. Çalışma yöntemi, saha araştırmasına ve literatür araştırmasına dayanmaktadır. Mardin Artuklu Üniversitesi Mimarlık Bölümü 2019-2020 Bahar Dönemi Proje 5-6 ve 2020-2021 Güz Dönemi Proje 4-5 dersleri süresince mimarlık bölümü öğrencileri tarafından yapılan araştırmalar ve geliştirilen projeler saha araştırmasına altlık oluşturmuştur. Çalışma bulguları olarak, Mardinin güncel kentleşme pratiklerine dair sorunlar tespit edilmiş ve geliştirilen projeler ışığında Mardin için yeni kamusal olanaklar ortaya konulmuştur.

Article Details

An Evaluation of Mardin’s Current Urbanisation Practices and Public Opportunities

Authors:

Zemzem Taşgüzen Polat | Berat Çelebioğlu

Publisher:

Ahmet FİDAN

Main Topics:

Yapılı Çevrenin Tarihi ve Teorisi | Mimari Tarih | Teori ve Eleştiri | Mimari Tasarım

Journal:

Kent Akademisi Vol.18 Issue 2, pp.1087-1111

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

3/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001342035

pISSN:

2146-9229

Urbanization policy

Public space

Public opportunities

Common kitchen

MardinKentleşme

Kamusal alan

Kamusal olanaklar

Müşterek mutfak

Mardin

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Zemzem Taşgüzen Polat | Berat Çelebioğlu

Publisher: Ahmet FİDAN

Main Topics: Yapılı Çevrenin Tarihi ve Teorisi | Mimari Tarih | Teori ve Eleştiri | Mimari Tasarım

Journal: Kent Akademisi Vol.18 Issue 2, pp.1087-1111

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 3/2025

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001342035

pISSN: 2146-9229

Issues

Authors:

Zemzem Taşgüzen Polat | Berat Çelebioğlu

Publisher:

Ahmet FİDAN

Main Topics:

Yapılı Çevrenin Tarihi ve Teorisi | Mimari Tarih | Teori ve Eleştiri | Mimari Tasarım

Journal:

Kent Akademisi Vol.18 Issue 2, pp.1087-1111

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

3/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001342035

pISSN:

2146-9229