Kentsel Heterotopya: İstanbul’un Farklı ve Öteki̇ Mekânları
Fransız filozof Michel Foucault ile beraber sosyal bilimlerde giderek yaygınlık kazanan heterotopya kavramı, farklı, karşıt ve öteki mekanları ifade eder. Bir şehirde ya da bir kültürün içinde normdan farklılaşanların bulunduğu mekânı tanımlayan heterotopya, kullanıcıyı “başka bir mekandaymış” gibi hissettirir. Çalışma alanı olan İstanbul, heterotopik mekanlar açısından zengin bir çalışma ortamı sağlamaktadır. Şehrin kadim bir geleneğe sahip olması, üç imparatorluğa başkentlik yapması ve farklı etnik-kültürel grupları barındırması, çeşitli heterotopya mekanlarını ortaya çıkarmıştır. Bu çalışmada İstanbul’un heterotopya mekanları farklı örnekler üzerinden tartışılmıştır. Farklı etnik ve dini grupların mekânı olarak Fener-Balat semti; iç göçlerin mekânsal yansıması olarak Siirt Kadınlar Pazarı; muhafazakâr grupların mekânı olarak Fatih Çarşamba Semti; kozmopolitliğin, gösteri ve yürüyüşlerin merkezi olarak İstiklal Caddesi ve Taksim Meydanı; bir kaçış mekânı olarak Moda ve Yeldeğirmeni ve son olarak ölülerin mekânı olarak da İstanbul’un en büyük ve en eski mezarlığı olan Karacaahmet Mezarlığı seçilmiştir. Araştırmacıların İstanbul’daki 20 yıllık deneyimlerine ve şehrin farklı bölgelerinde yürütülen saha araştırmalarına dayanarak söz konusu heterotopya mekanları belirlenmiş, daha sonra belirlenen mekanlarda katılımcı-gözlemci tekniği kullanılmıştır. Bu mekanları ziyaret edenlerin yaşadıkları deneyim, tecrübe ve algılarını ölçmek adına Google Yorumlar ve Tripadvisor isimli dijital ortamlarda yapılan yorumlar analiz edilmiş, böylece çalışmanın güvenirliliği artırılmıştır. Çalışmada, sanal ortamda yapılan yorumların, belirlenen mekanların heterotopik özelliklerini büyük ölçüde yansıttığı anlaşılmıştır
Urban Heterotopia: Different and Other Spaces of İstanbul
The concept of heterotopia, introduced by French philosopher Michel Foucault, refers to a spatial situation in which different, opposing, and incompatible forms can live together in the same space. With its cosmopolitan structure, Istanbul provides a rich study ground regarding heterotopic spaces. This study discusses the heterotopia spaces of Istanbul through different examples. The Fener-Balat district was chosen as the space of different ethnic and religious groups; Siirt Kadınlar Pazarı as the spatial reflection of internal migration; Fatih Çarşamba District as the space of conservative groups; Istiklal Street and Taksim Square as the center of cosmopolitanism, demonstrations, and protests; Moda and Yeldeğirmeni as a place of escapism; and finally, Karacaahmet Cemetery, the oldest and largest cemetery in Istanbul, as the space of the dead. The heterotopia spaces in the study were defined on the basis of the researchers’ 20 years of experience in Istanbul and field research conducted in different parts of the city. After defining the spaces, the participant-observer technique was used in these areas. The comments made on the digital media Google Reviews and Tripadvisor were analyzed to increase the study’s reliability. In the study, it was understood that the comments made in the digital media primarily reflected the heterotopic characteristics of the identified places.
Nowadays, unique and different spaces, rather than similarities, are in great demand. For this reason, the places of cities that have changed and become different by not keeping up with change have attracted the attention of researchers. Heterotopia, the article’s subject, is the spaces that differ within the city and resist uniform order. Etymologically, heterotopia means “hetero” (other or different) and “topos” (place) (Ay, 2018). Foucault describes other spaces as “heterotopia” in his article “Of Other Spaces,” written in 1967. The concept of “heterotopia” introduced by Foucault (1984), refers to a spatial situation in which different, opposing, and incompatible entities can live together in the same context. Foucault treats heterotopic spaces as spaces of “otherness” and argues that every society creates heterotopias in different forms and functions. According to Foucault, this indicates that heterotopia turns into spaces that reverse the rules of society. Heterotopia, a concept related to space, refers to a real space, unlike utopia. Heterotopias, unlike utopias, are places that can be shown on a map and are geographically accessible.
This study, which aims to make a geographical contribution to the concept of heterotopia, is an introduction to the heterotopia spaces of Istanbul and will form a basis for subsequent studies. Istanbul’s heterotopia spaces are discussed through different examples, taking into account the studies in the literature and the principles put forward by Foucault. Sample locations were determined on the basis of the researchers’ 20 years of experience in Istanbul and field research conducted in different parts of the city. Later, the participantobserver technique was used in the determined places, and attention was drawn to the social, cultural, and spatial features that differentiate these places. To increase the reliability of the study, a digital ethnography perspective was adopted, and the experience and experiences of those who visited the designated points, as well as their perceptions of these places were measured. In this context, a content analysis of the comments made on these places on Google Maps and Tripadvisor, among Turkey’s most visited websites, was conducted. Thus, individuals’ sense of belonging, ideas, and perceptions regarding Istanbul’s heterotopias were discussed.
The Fener-Balat district is the place of different ethnic and religious groups; Siirt Kadınlar Pazarı is a spatial reflection of internal migrations; Fatih Çarşamba District is the venue of conservative groups; Istiklal Street and Taksim Square is the center of cosmopolitanism, demonstrations, and marches; Moda and Yeldeğirmeni were chosen as escape places, and finally, Karacaahmet Cemetery, the oldest and largest cemetery in Istanbul, was selected as the place of the dead.
Heterotopias are different places and unique. In an era when originality and difference rather than similarity are in demand, Istanbul’s heterotopia spaces attract the attention of city residents and tourists. For this reason, some heterotopias of Istanbul constitute the city’s most dense, crowded, and lively places. For example, in districts such as Taksim Square, Istiklal Street, Fener-Balat districts, and Moda, activity is observed at all hours of the day. Because, unlike utopias, heterotopia can only find a place for itself in public spaces, not in residential areas. In residential areas, the inhabitants of that place take on a homogeneous structure, creating similarities rather than differences. Istanbul’s heterotopia spaces reflect the city’s different face and cosmopolitan structure. While Moda and Yeldeğirmeni, Taksim, and Istiklal Streets stand out as cosmopolitan and entertainment venues, the Fener and Balat districts remind you of old Istanbul. While Fatih Kadınlar Pazarı is the spatial reflection of internal migration in Istanbul, Çarşamba district shows the conservative side of the city. Karacaahmet Cemetery also stands out as a place of the dead.
Similar to contemporary cities, heterotopic areas in Istanbul appear as the city’s mosaic. the areas in question are public spaces privatized by certain groups. To understand this issue better, the evaluation of Istanbul, which is an open laboratory in terms of heterotopic spaces, from different perspectives of sociologists, architects, city planners, and philosophers, in addition to geographers, will reveal the richness of Istanbul in this sense.
