Soap Productıon in Terms of Urban Identity and Evaluation of Soap Factorıes Within the Industrial Heritage: The Case of Antakya
Human activities and historical structures, which are located in the areas that constitute the historical textures of the cities and maintained as a centuriesold tradition, are important components of the identity of the city. The main purpose of this study is to draw attention to the importance of soap production activities in Antakya in terms of identity-industrial heritage and tourism. For this purpose, firstly the relationship between soap production and urban identity has been emphasized. . In addition to, inventories and historical development plans have been obtained from the Conservation-Implementation and Inspection Bureau and the spatial distribution of the soap factories has been determined with the help of these data. Based on the findings obtained from this study, it has revealed that soap production and soap factories in Antakya are an important component of urban identity, 8 soap factories identified in the research area are located in the historical texture and close to each other. 4 of these soap factories should be re-functionalized. In addition, it has emphasized that the industrial heritage route developed for soap factories are important in terms of historical and cultural tourism and also it has suggested that new cultural routes should be developed.
Sabun Üretimi Bakımından Kent Kimliği ve Sabunhanelerin Endüstriyel Miras Kapsamında Değerlendirilmesi: Antakya Örneği
Şehirlerin tarihi dokularını oluşturan alanlarda, asırlık bir gelenek olarak sürdürülen beşeri faaliyetler ve tarihi yapılar kent kimliğinin önemli bileşenleri olmakla birlikte, aynı zamanda birer miras niteliği de taşımaktadır. Bu çalışmanın temel amacı, Antakya’da sabun üretim faaliyetlerinin ve tarihi sabunhanelerin kimlik-endüstriyel miras-turizm bakımından önemine dikkat çekmektir. Bu amaca yönelik olarak öncelikle sabun üretiminin kent kimliği ile olan ilişkileri üzerinde durulmuştur. Diğer yandan, Koruma-Uygulama ve Denetleme Bürosu’ndan (KUDEB) tarihi yapılara yönelik envanterler ve koruma amaçlı imar planı temin edilmiş ve bu veriler yardımıyla sabunhanelerin mekânsal dağılışları ortaya konulmuştur. Bu çalışmadan elde edilen bulgulara dayanarak, Antakya’da sabun üretiminin ve sabunhanelerin kent kimliğinin önem bir bileşeni olduğu, araştırma sahasında tespit edilen sekiz adet sabunhanenin tarihi doku içerisinde ve birbirlerine yakın konumlarda yer aldıkları ve bu sabunhanelerden dördünün yeniden işlevlendirilmesi gerektiği ortaya konulmuştur. Ayrıca, sabunhanelere yönelik geliştirilen endüstriyel miras rotasının tarihi ve kültürel turizm bakımından önemli olduğu vurgulanmış ve yeni kültür rotalarının da geliştirilmesi gerektiği önerilmiştir.
Identity is defined as the sum of the properties that determine any object. Urban identity is a meaningful integrity that affects the image of the city, whose characteristics are different in each city, shaped by natural, cultural and socio-economic elements, which is formed by the citizens and their lifestyles and which creates the concept of sustainable city. Cities create unique urban identities thanks to their spatial and socio-cultural characteristics. The unique qualities that distinguish a city from other cities constitute the identity of that city. While some of the cities come to the forefront with the tourism sector, some are known for their cultural elements and others for their features such as health function. Antakya, which is the subject of this research has the feature of being a multi-identity city. The culture of soap production, which has been maintained for many years, and the soap factories are among the important elements that make up the urban identity of Antakya. Previously, soap production activities which carried out at home began to be realized in soap factories XIX. century. But soap factories have begun to lose their functions since the middle of the XX. century. The aim of this study is to draw attention to the importance of both soap production activities carried out in Antakya and the structures used as soap factory in certain periods in terms of urban identity. Another aim of the study is to identify the soap factories that are important for industrial heritage and to develop proposals for the re-evaluation of these structures within the scope of conservation-use and integrated with the tourism sector. For this purposes, the main research questions that guide this study are;
• Can soap production and soap factories be considered among the elements constituting Antakya’s urban identity?
• What is the spatial distribution of the soap factories and what are the factors affecting this distribution?
• Can the soap factories in Antakya be considered within the scope of industrial heritage and industrial heritage tourism?
• Can a cultural route be established for soap factories in terms of industrial heritage tourism?
In this study, a list of buildings with industrial heritage value in Hatay have been obtained from the Ankara Regional Directorate of Conservation Implementation and Inspection Bureau. On the other hand, the conservation zoning plan and inventories related to the protected structures have been obtained from KUDEB unit of Hatay Metropolitan Municipality. The information obtained from the observations and interviews made in the research area have constituted the other important data of this study.
During the research first of all, the concept of urban identity has been emphasized and the relationship between soap production and urban identity has been revealed. Soap factories with industrial heritage value have been identified and these structures have been processed on the map of conservation zoning plan. Thus, the spatial distribution of the structures that serve as soap factory in certain periods and the reasons of this distribution have been emphasized. The periods in which these structures were built, operated as soap factory, lost their functions and were re-functionalized have been revealed. In addition, the current use of the buildings has been determined. Recommendations have been put forward for the re-evaluation of historical soap factories which have not yet been functionalized within the scope of conservation-use, and then a culture route for soap factories has been proposed. In the research area, 8 structures known to have been used as soap factory in the past have been identified. Soap factories continued their activities until the middle of the XX. century, but later they began to lose their functions due to various reasons. Soap factories operating in Antakya in certain periods; Soap Factory on Bedesten Street, Ömer Şenek Soap Factory, Çelenkçioğlu Soap Factory, Kuseyri Soap Factory, Hasan Ökten Soap Factory, Aselcioğlu Soap Factory, Şeyhoğlu Soap Factory and Selahattin Ökten Soap Factory
In this study, an industrial heritage route has been developed to draw attention to the identity-culture-tourism interaction in Antakya with the example of soap factories. This route starts from the Hatay Governorship. Afterwards, it reaches to Suphi Bedir Uluç Street via Hürriyet Street, Uzun Çarşı Street and Tayfur Sökmen Street, and from there it connects with Kurtuluş Street and extends to Selahattin Ökten Soap Factory. The route has a length of about 1.5 kilometers. In this study, it has been revealed that the structures which were used as soap factory in certain periods started to operate in the XIX. century and lost their functions after the second half of the XX. century. Soap factories which lost their functions were taken under protection to be registered between 1982-2005. It is revealed that four of all the soap factories in the research area have been functional and the other four have been not functional yet.
