From Yassıada to Democracy and Liberties Island: Rejudgement of Democrat Party, Restoration of Memory, Memory-Led Regeneration of Place

Date

2025-7

Author

Kurtul, Uğur

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This thesis examines the transformation of Yassıada, located off the southern coast of Istanbul, into the “Democracy and Liberties Island,” within the framework of spatial transformation and the construction of socio-cultural memory. While the island has been redesigned as a museum- hotel-restaurant complex, this transformation is analyzed both in terms of the reproduction of physical space and the reconstruction of memory. The urban regeneration practice, which presents a unique case in terms of capital accumulation processes and commodification dynamics, is interpreted through the concept of memory-led regeneration. Simultaneously, the transformation of the island also signifies an initiative of memory construction and restoration through the discourses, commemorative practices, and musealization efforts of various actors. The study analyzes how policymakers conceptualize, plan, and reconstruct memory through the museum, monuments, commemorative structures, and sculptures on the island. In this context, it explores how memory is shaped, and visitor experience is directed through the mosque, hotel, museum, and monuments, as well as the visual and auditory materials exhibited. Furthermore, it questions what is chosen to be remembered or forgotten through the narratives constructed by these structures. Based on a comprehensive evaluation of the new space, its content, and associated practices, the study reveals that policymakers’ approaches to the island and its memory have evolved over time. It also demonstrates that space has failed to become a brand or attraction center as seen in international urban regeneration strategies, that commercial enterprises have not achieved the expected economic impact, and that practices such as worship, congresses, and commemorations have gradually been abandoned.

Subject Keywords

Memory-led Regeneration, Memory Construction, Restoration, Memorialization, Commodification of Place

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/115439

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis