Changing urban texture of Bebek, from the 19th century to the present

Abstract

Bebek, one of the important Bosphorus villages of the Ottoman period, was established in the second quarter of the 18th century on the shores of the Bosphorus, with its mosque, entails, school, Turkish bath and bazaar. The region developed in the 19th century and the settlement enlarged towards the hills. In this study, with the help of old maps, plans and photographs, the changing urban texture of Bebek Neighborhood, Beşiktaş district of Istanbul province, is examined from the 19th century to the present. After the consultation of maps, images and aerial photography it was determined that, by the shape of the topography, the first settlements of Bebek were on the shores of the Bosphorus, and then in the valleys of the Büyük and Küçük Bebek streams flowing into the Bosphorus. Over time, the streams in the region dried up and were replaced by streets with the same name. The settlement in Bebek developed from two separate branches around these two streams, and construction began first in Büyük Bebek and then in Küçük Bebek over time. In the 20th century, dead-end streets were opened with zoning activities, streets and avenues were enlarged, some wooden buildings that had been burned down due to fires were rebuilt as masonry, and the boundaries of Bebek Square and some apartment block buildings were changed. The second half of the 20th century was the period when the urban texture of Bebek was intensified, between 1970 and 1982, the hills between Büyük and Küçük Bebek were largely opened for construction and these two settlements were almost united. Today, these two settlements are called “Bebek” without being separated from each other. Today, although Bebek village cannot maintain its old rural character, it is one of the most preferred settlements in Istanbul, with its green areas such as Kortel Grove and Ayşe Sultan Grove and the advantage of the Bosphorus view offered by its sloping topography.