Istanbul/Laleli apartments (1918-1940) conservation problems and suggestions

The aim of the study is to examine the architectural features of the apartments built between 1918 (after the fire) and 1940 in the Fatih district and the Laleli district by reviewing the history of apartment building in Istanbul, addressing the problems of conservation and developing proposals for these problems. The emergence of apartment buildings in Istanbul was first observed in the Galata and Beyoğlu districts after the second half of the 19th century. It is known that the majority of people living in the region were non-Muslims. In the 19th century, the emergence of apartment buildings in the Galata district was mainly due to cultural, social and, above all, economic reasons. Especially with the increase in trade, the density of the population working and living in Galata increased the need for housing and led to an increase in the value of the plots. Since the pioneering examples of apartment buildings in Istanbul can be seen in Galata, Beyoğlu, etc., this study will increase the visibility of Laleli apartment buildings and contribute to the relevant literature. General information and a brief history of the apartment buildings in the Laleli region are accessible in the literature reviews, but it was found that there is insufficient information about the region. A holistic study on the multi-storey houses in the Laleli district, which will contribute to the history of apartment building in Istanbul, will increase the originality value of this subject. In this study, in which qualitative data collection methods such as on-site observation, interviews with people and literature research are supported by field research, historical research was conducted on the apartment building process in Istanbul and Laleli. In the literature research, historical maps (J. Pervititch Insurance Maps, German Blues 1913-1914 Pre-World War I Istanbul Maps) were used as additional sources to illustrate the structure of the region and the presence of multi-story housing construction. The field study included the collection of information, photography, surveying and visualization. Multi-storey residential buildings from the relevant years in the region were identified and their architectural features were examined. As part of the study, 13 apartment buildings were analyzed. These buildings were analyzed in terms of windows, entrance doors, bays, moldings, balconies, structural elements under moldings / bays and roof shapes. As a result of the thesis, a catalog study of the apartment buildings in the Laleli District built between 1918 and 1940, the changes they have undergone from their construction to the present day have been documented and suggestions have been developed to reveal the original conditions of the buildings by identifying the deterioration over time.