The morphological history of Istanbul

Abstract

Istanbul's old core has been influenced by several cultures: Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Turkish. This reflects the city's position at the meeting point of the continents of Europe and Asia. The paper examines the characteristics of the morphological periods associated with each cultural influence. In addition to assessing the morphological history of the core of the city by using space syntax, the city's social history is explored, especially in terms of the city's ceremonial and symbolic nature.