Antalya Kaleiçi and Its Surroundings on the 1905 Maps
Evren DayarMaps are highly valuable as historical sources because they offer a visual representation of the reality, they depict during the time they were created. The significance of maps as historical resources becomes even more apparent when studying cities like Antalya, which have experienced significant damage to their historical structures, or when attempting to identify structures that no longer exist today. The maps become crucial tools for reconstructing the historical fabric of such cities and bridging the gap between the past and the present. This article aims to evaluate two maps of Antalya prepared on March 27, 1905, utilizing archival documents, inscriptions, and various visual sources. These maps, created to document the damage to the walls and towers of Antalya in the early 20th century, are highly functional for identifying key reference points in the city and understanding urban modernization. In the article, based on the 1905 maps, the city’s harbor, Antalya Citadel (Tophane), Kaleiçi neighborhoods, city walls, city gates, and the settlement areas outside the walls are depicted, presenting a panoramic view of early 20th-century Antalya. In addition, the 1905 maps provide significant information about some structures that are no longer present today. Through the 1905 maps, it has been possible to identify the bathhouse structure in the citadel, the Bayrakdar Baba Tomb, and the original location of the clock tower, claimed to have been constructed in 1921.
1905 Haritalarında Antalya Kaleiçi ve Çevresi
Evren DayarHaritalar, oluşturuldukları dönemdeki gerçekliğin görsel bir temsilini sundukları için tarihî kaynak olarak son derece değerlidir. Haritaların tarihî kaynak olarak önemi, Antalya gibi tarihî yapıları önemli ölçüde tahrip olmuş kentleri incelerken veya günümüzde artık var olmayan yapıları tespit etmeye çalışırken daha da belirgin hâle gelmektedir. Bu haritalar, bu tür kentlerin tarihî dokusunu yeniden inşa etmek için önemli bir araç hâline gelmekte ve geçmişle bugün arasında köprü kurmayı sağlamaktadır. Bu makale, arşiv belgeleri, kitabeler ve farklı görsel kaynaklardan faydalanarak 27 Mart 1905 tarihinde hazırlanmış iki Antalya haritasını değerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. 20. yüzyıl başlarında Antalya sur duvarları ile burçlarında gerçekleştirilen tahribatı belgelemek amacıyla hazırlanan bu haritalar, kentin belli başlı nirengi noktalarının tespit edilmesi ve kentsel modernleşmenin anlaşılması açısından oldukça işlevseldir. Makalede, 1905 haritalarından hareketle kentin limanı, iç kale (Tophane), Kaleiçi mahalleleri, sur duvarları ve kent kapıları ile sur dışı yerleşim alanı tasvir edilmiş; bu suretle 20. yüzyılın başlarında Antalya’nın panoramik bir görünümü sunulmuştur. Bunların yanı sıra 1905 haritaları, günümüzde mevcut olmayan bazı yapılara dair de önemli bilgiler vermektedir. İç kale mevkiindeki hamam yapısı, Bayrakdar Baba Türbesi, bugüne kadar 1921 yılında inşa edildiği düşünülen saat kulesinin ilk yeri, 1905 haritaları vasıtasıyla tespit edilebilmiştir.
A document containing two maps of Antalya Kaleiçi drawn in 1905 and thirteen photographs of the castle walls and towers is located among the papers of the Council of State in the Ottoman Archive of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey State Archives. The maps prepared on a scale of 1/1000 meters, were drawn by Ali Niyazi, senior lieutenant of the Fourth Battalion of the Antalya Regiment, and Ali Rıza, the colonel of the Antalya Regiment. The main subject of the document, where the maps are located, is a detailed investigation launched into allegations that Hüseyin Kenan Pasha, who served as the Mutasarrıf of Antalya between 1901 and 1904, and the merchant Sarı Simonoğlu destroyed the castle walls to use them in the flour mill they built in Antalya Port. The document containing the allegations and investigation records of the destruction of Antalya Castle is of great importance in understanding the appearance of the city in the early 20th century and showing the basic elements of a castle that no longer exists today, especially because of the photographs it contains and the maps prepared as part of the investigation.
In the article, the 1905 maps have been utilized, supported by various written sources and visual documents, to extract the panorama of the city from the early 20th century. For this purpose, the focus was initially on the city’s port and its surroundings; significant structures in this area, such as the Antalya Gasworks (Gazhane), a mill, the Ottoman Tobacco Company building, a casino, the customs building, and the port office, as depicted on the maps, have been introduced. Later, information was given about the citadel of the city, and it was pointed out that there was a bathing structure in this area, as understood from the maps. According to the article’s claim, this structure, no longer standing today, may be related to the palace bathhouse in the Seljuk citadel. Another structure emphasized in this section of the article is the Bayrakdar Dede Tomb, which is no longer present today. It is possible that this tomb, shown near the Baruthane Tower on the 1905 maps, belonged to a warrior named Bayrakdar Dede because he was identified with the conquest of the city by Muslims and was elevated to the rank of saint over time.
The article also addresses the city walls shown in the 1905 maps, along with the gates and towers atop the walls. Judging from the 1905 maps, it is clear that Antalya Castle remained largely intact in the early 20th century, with a substantial portion of its walls and towers still standing in solid condition. Furthermore, the maps reveal that Kaleiçi was divided into three distinct sections by two inner wall lines. In the maps, the towers on the external walls of Antalya Castle are numbered, starting from the northwest of the castle. Tower number 12 is designated as the “Clock Tower.” This nomenclature holds significant import as it challenges a prevailing claim suggesting that the clock tower in Antalya was erected in 1921. The meticulous examination of the 1905 maps, underscores the need for a correction in this historical narrative. The maps unmistakably pinpoint the original location of the city’s Clock Tower on a structure situated to the west of its current position, thereby rectifying the chronological misalignment attributed to the later construction date.
As inferred from the 1905 maps, by the early 20th century, the city gates had largely lost their functions. The reason for this was the population growth of the city since the second half of the 19th century, and the walls losing their function to ensure the security of the city. These developments necessitated the creation of new openings at numerous points on the external walls or the removal of existing gates to facilitate transportation between the inside and outside of the walls. The concentration of gates and openings primarily in the southeast of the external walls indicates that urban development was occurring in this neighborhood during this period. Similarly, during this period, gates on the inner walls had also been removed. The reason for the removal of these gates was the loss of their function in controlling transitions between neighborhoods. This functional loss was influenced by changes like inter-communal relationships in Ottoman society since the Tanzimat period.
On the other hand, the 1905 maps provide little information about the city’s neighborhoods and settlement plan, primarily because they focus on depicting the defence system and pay less attention to accurately capturing the street layout. Indeed, in these maps, the neighborhoods of Kaleiçi are only shown in broad strokes and very limited detail. In the areas outside the walls, the focus is on major religious and administrative structures, roads, and the bazaars near the city walls. In this area, firstly, the telegraph office, government building, and Government Avenue in the northwest of the city are depicted. Then, the area across from the castle gate (Kalekapısı), including the Zincirli Inn and the bazaar, is marked. The prominent structures and streets in the southeast of the city include Kurşunlu Madrasa, Değirmenönü Road, Yeni Kapı Avenue, Fener Avenue, Leski Coffeehouse, Rum School, and the Christian Cemetery.
