Urban development in Konya during the Early Republic Period (1930-1950)

Konya has been an important city at the crossroads of significant trade routes since ancient times, maintaining its importance throughout history. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, Konya is the largest city in Turkey by area, covering approximately 39,000 km². While it has hosted many settlements since ancient times, it experienced its primary urbanization during the Anatolian Seljuk Period. The city continued to develop during the Ottoman Period, maintaining its importance. This development continued in the Republic Era in accordance with the needs of the time. The first settlements were located around Alaeddin Hill in the city center and within a 30 km radius from there. Alaeddin Hill, located in the center, was an area surrounded by walls in ancient times. After the Seljuks conquered Konya, this characteristic was maintained, and as the population increased in parallel with the city's development, the settlement expanded beyond the walls. To protect the growing city, a new wall was constructed around the area outside the city walls. Thus, the settlement developed between the inner citadel, which formed the central core of Konya, consisting of administrative units, and the outer wall, which defined the boundaries of the settlement. During the Ottoman Period, this centrality continued until the city was connected by railways. After this period, new focal points influencing urbanization emerged. The process, which began with industrialization and adaptation to the times during the Ottoman Period, continued in the Republic Era in line with the modern and industrial society's understanding. The desire to create a new, modern society in all fields necessitated the reorganization of the urban development process in the Republic Era. Despite urban developments in line with the republican understanding during the early years of the Republic, population growth and the effects of industrialization led to the need for zoning studies that started in the 1940s, resulting in the first urban plan of Konya in 1946. Up until this point, Alaeddin Hill, which formed the historical focal point of the Seljuk period, had been the central location of the city. The city, which showed a radial development during this period, maintained this characteristic during the Ottoman and partially the Republican periods. This study will examine the urban situation of the city of Konya, which has maintained its settlement status since ancient times, up to the Early Republican Period, and the developments during the Early Republic. The factors that influenced Konya's urbanization during the Early Republican Period and the changes brought by these developments will also be investigated.