Place and Space: Minorities in Sisli

This study focuses on the concept of identity that is the most important factor that converts a space into a "place" in the scope of ethnic minorities in Sisli district. Primarily, the concept of space, how this notion becomes a place and its components as belonging, appropriation, personalization, insideness and outsideness and spirit of place that make a space a place and placelessness due to the loss of these components are explained. In the sequel, identity is explained by social, cultural and ethnic bottom booms. Minority identity and the reflections of them converting their identity into a place is very valuable for urban memory and identity. In the city Of Istanbul, along with the decreasing numbers of the minorities, their identities have become inseparable from the dominant culture of where they resident. Dominant society and ethnic minorities that are living together in this geography are both affected by cultural transition, which is deletion of some traditions and earnings of new values on common denominator. This study aims to introduce the historical process of the architectural reflections of the ethnical identity in Şişli. Identity features of Greek, Armenian and Jewish minority groups' effects on neighborhood and housing environments, their interaction and position during the duration and later on, lost of the architectural minority reflections by the lost of the minority identity. This study emphasizes the importance of the minority effects on the city of Istanbul becoming a "place".