Green areas in the Ayasofya District (Nâhiye) according to the cadastral survey (tapu tahrir) registers of Istanbul waqfs 1546 and 1600

Özet

The aim of this paper is to explore the settlement plan and structure ofcharacteristics, components, continuity and changes of green areas mentionedin quarter (mahalle) units of the Ayasofya District (nâhiye) according to ‘TheCadastral Survey (Tapu Tahrir) Registers of Istanbul Waqfs dated 1546 and 1600’.In order to understand the green areas and make interpretations about them, itwas considered necessary to understand the urban characteristics and settlementpatterns of the Ayasofya District. To achieve this, the urban elements of theAyasofya District that may have affected the character of the green areas has beenresearched and compiled. Then, maps were developed in the GIS (GeographicInformation System) program to understand the status of the city when the datesof the cadastral survey registers. Afterward, tables were prepared containing thesettlement characteristics, their green areas, and their components and numbers.Tables were compared to each other and to maps, and conclusions were drawn.Then, all data supported by visual and written sources related to the periodwere evaluated and interpreted considering the respective years that they wereregistered.As a result, the general settlement plan of the city and the status character of thegreen areas in the settled areas as well as the relationship of the green areas withthe structures they are attached to was determined. Furthermore, the distributionof the green areas in the quarters, their density and location, and the reasons forthe differences between the 1546 and the 1600 registers have been discussed.