A morphological analysis on Bursa historical city center; the physical transformation of Khans District between 1862 and 2018

Urban morphology, in its most general sense, is the study of the city as a living space. Urban morphology studies aim to analyze the relations produced in the development process of social structure through urban space and urban patterns by examining the change in space. The main purpose of this thesis is to analyze the Khans District, one of the main areas of the historical city center of Bursa, based on morphological approaches. The city of Bursa, as the cradle of important civilizations throughout history, has always maintained its importance with its history, culture, social and economic structure. This diversity has shaped and changed the city in socio-cultural, economic, and architectural terms. The city, which was shaped by its unique urban settlement features in the Ottoman period, changed its physical and architectural features in the 20th century due to industrialization, migration, and globalization. Especially after the 1960s, it is observed that the original qualities were subject to rapid change and beyond that to an increasing deterioration. It is important and necessary to be able to stop the ongoing loss of quality in the historical urban fabric, to transfer it to the future as original as possible, to guide the future interventions in the Khans District with restitutive approaches based on reliable sources or to interpret them by taking reference or inspiration from them. In line with these purposes, examining and defining the urban characteristics of Khans District in different periods, which constitutes an important part of the historical city center of Bursa, one of the leading historical and trade centers of Turkey, examining the change of urban characteristics between periods, revealing the morphological interaction of urban and architectural qualities. It is thought that the analysis based on this method is important in terms of guiding future planning and urban design in the study area, as well as the conservation and restoration works. The research period is determined between the years of 1862-dated Suphi Bey Map, the oldest map of Bursa, and 2018, the most current map year, to determine the physical change and the factors behind the morphological transformation of the historical city center of Bursa Khans District. In the light of cartographic materials, old photographs, and written documents, urban morphological analyses, shown on redrawn maps are used to compare different periods of the Khans District morphologically. In the analyses and data processing process the redrawn maps (with their removed deformations due to their old techniques) of 1862, 1909, late 1920s, 1957, 1989, and 2018 superposed successively. During the visual and formal analysis of the thesis study in line with the determined target, it is aimed to simplify the urban fabric and architectural features and to show the diversity and richness in various stages. In addition, it is aimed to reveal and compare the evolution at every phase of the 'urban fabric', 'urban circulation network', and 'land use (functional distribution)' for the Khans District, to reveal physical continuities and changes. As a result of the morphological analyses, it is observed that the organic urban fabric became more linear with the new transportation networks opened. In addition, it can be said that public and administrative buildings constructed with new materials and construction techniques due to the political regimes, the influence of modernism and planning have transformed the area into a region where administrative, public, and social functions, as well as commercial functions, coexist. According to the literature review, it was observed that there was no study conducted with the morphological method using cartographic materials regarding Khans District of Bursa. In this context, it is thought that this thesis study based on the morphological method will be an original resource in terms of guiding future planning and urban design studies, as well as conservation and restoration studies. Keywords: Urban morphology, Planning activities, Urban transformation, Khans District, Bursa historical city center