The transformation of Beyoğlu Muslim Cemetery :|sanitizing, beautifying and reproducing the memory of the city in the nineteenth century

Abstract

This study is about the transformation of the Beyoğlu Muslim Cemetery in 19th century. It draws on first and second-hand sources to examine the dynamics of the 19th century Istanbul which reshaped the city, changed the spatialization of death and leaded the transformation of the cemetery. Moreover, the study reveals the spatialization of two influential discourses; beautification and sanitation. Based on archival material, the study describes the urban fabric, the institutional change and different responses with the help of visual data. Although the transformation of cemeteries was a common practice in 19th century urbanism, not only in Istanbul, but also in other Ottoman and European cities, the change in spatialization of death and the transformation of cemeteries are generally overlooked topics in the historiography of the city. Thus, most goal of the study is to comprehensively document the multi-layered historical data and to assert cemeteries’ significant role in spatial practices.