Speaker
Description
State policies and planning decisions fuel the dynamic nature of urban space. The spatial implementations of authorities not only depict the socio-cultural position of the community but also lead a process of reconstructing power symbols in the city. In the radical shift of policies or movements, this spatial transformation tends to occur abruptly and apparently. With this perspective, Ulus, Ankara, becomes a unique urban space that reveals the policy transition from modernism to neo-Islamist policies in Turkey. This paper reveals the differences between previous city plans and urban renewal projects after the 1980s with a particular focus on Ulus İller Bank, which was registered as a cultural asset. Changing demands from authorities resulted in this building's demolition and the construction of the Melike Hatun Mosque between 2013 and 2017. While the İller Bank building represents the modern identity of the Republican period, the mosque symbolizes neo-Islamist power relations. This study reveals this phenomenon with the comparative analysis of plans, earth images, expert and static reports of the administrative case, and discourse in magazines. Investigating the court reports of İller Bank and discourse in magazines becomes an original contribution to understand the dynamics of the transformation process. This retrospective effort examines the key relationships between urban identity and policy and their differences in modernism and neo-Islamism. The main contribution is the embodiment of the paradigm shift in urban conservation and renewal projects.
| Keywords | cultural heritage; paradigm shift; urban renewal; modernism; neo-Islamism |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
