The role of old city centers in the context of urban identity and memory: A research on Denizli

In the process that started with modernization and continued under the influence of globalization, the debates on the identity and memory of cities, as well as in old city centers, have gradually increased. While investigating the importance of old city centers through the concepts of identity and memory, the study examined the effects of destruction and transformation in the historical centers of cities on the identity elements and memory of the city. At this point, the example of Denizli, where the old city center has been destroyed in the last half century and the elements of urban identity and memory have gradually disappeared, has been analyzed. In the study, firstly, a conceptual framework was presented on the basis of identity and memory, based on the urban phenomenon. Afterwards, in order to embody the formation regarding old city center and to present a broad perspective, examples of old city centers highlighting different experiences of 10 cities from the world and Turkey were examined. In this context, the transformations of the old city centers from the pre-industrial period to the present and current discussions are emphasized. In the research section, the old city center of Denizli; identity components detailed under natural, artificial, historical, sociocultural and economic elements and their role within the scope of spatial and collective memory have been examined. In the field research based on qualitative methods; literature review, spatial observations supported by urban walking and photography, also semi-structured interviews, 19 of which were oral history studies, were conducted with 35 people selected within certain criteria. The findings compiled specifically for the old city center were evaluated specifically in the context of urban identity and memory. In conclusion, for Denizli, suggestions have been presented to strengthen the inclusive role of the old city center within the scope of urban identity and memory.