The Tünel-Karaköy axis: Architectural and social change from the 19th century to the present

The subject of this study is the architectural and social transformation of Galip Dede, Yüksek Kaldırım, and Kemeraltı streets, which form the axis between the Tünel and Karaköy squares. These streets and squares, located on an axis that connects these two important centers, are within the boundaries of the Arap Cami, Asmalı Mescit, Bereketzade, Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa, Müeyyetzade, and Şahkulu neighborhoods of the Beyoğlu District. The study axis (Galip Dede, Yüksek Kaldırım, and Kemeraltı streets) is one of Istanbul's most important urban axes in terms of its location and urban history. In the past, it facilitated the relationship between the walled areas of Galata and its extension, Pera, and has been a part of numerous changes, especially from the 19th century to the present day. Within the scope of the thesis, the architectural and social transformation of the streets and squares has been analyzed, taking into account the historical process in the region. In the analysis process, various research data as well as contemporary measurement and documentation techniques have been utilized. Within the scope of the study, archival sources (plans, engravings, miniatures, cadastral and historical maps, urban plans, old photographs, satellite images, panoramas) and field observations and studies (photography, interviews with individuals in commercial structures related to the use of buildings) have been used, as well as various measurement and documentation techniques such as 3D Laser Scanning, surveying, map comparison. The thesis consists of four parts. In the first part, the historical process of the Galata and Pera regions is examined from ancient times to the 21st century. The second part of the study focuses on the current state of the Tünel-Karaköy axis, considering the architectural and social aspects from the 19th century to the 21st century. The third part analyzes the main research subject of the thesis, "The Tünel-Karaköy Axis from the 19th Century to the Present: Architectural and Social Transformation." The fourth and final part presents the evaluation of the data identified through analysis in the thesis, along with recommendations for the silhouette of the axis.