Phenomenon of the urban identity in the context of the Historical Kemeraltı Bazaar of Izmir

This thesis aims to determine the place of the Historical Kemeraltı Bazaar of Izmir in the identity of the city of Izmir. In fact, one of the main elements that bring identity to cities is the historical centers of the cities, and if evaluated for the Ottoman Geography, it is the bazaars that shapes these centers. In that case, what kind of contribution does Kemeraltı Bazaar make to the formation of urban identity in İzmir? The study was built on this research question. First of all, the conceptual framework was drawn by giving place to the concepts of identity, collective memory, collective identity, urban identity, and place attachment. After that, general characteristics of Ottoman Cities were evaluated. The second part was formed by determining the place of the Ottoman bazaars in the city identities, especially for the bazaars of Bascarsija, Old Bazaar, El Medina and Han El Halili, which constitute the historical centers of the cities of Sarajevo, Skopje, Aleppo and Cairo. In the third part, it was aimed to present a comprehensive portrait of Kemeraltı Bazaar, which shapes the research area of the study, through constituents of urban identity. In this context, all the identity elements contained in the text were identified by the researcher at their locations. The last part of the study was devoted to the introduction of qualitative field research and the evaluation of the findings. The findings indicate that Kemeraltı Bazaar is the "heart of Izmir" by referring to its richness in the context of social and built elements. The participants mentioned some negative reflections of the migration-induced population change on the bazaar. On the other hand, it is seen that the bazaar has taken a place in the collective memory of the city with its historical texture, the fact that different beliefs have lived together for centuries, and its penetration into every field of social life beyond trade. This study is considered to be an original study due to the wideness of the research universe involving a- Kemeraltı Bazaar tradesmen, b- Researchers carrying out activities related to Kemeraltı Bazaar, c- Non-governmental organization managers and city administrators associated with Kemeraltı Bazaar; and because there has not been a study in this context with the qualitative research method on the bazaar before. Keywords: Identity, Collective Memory, Collective Identity, Urban Identity, The Historical Kemeraltı Bazaar of Izmir.