Abstract
The aim of this paper is to explore the settlement plan and structure of characteristics, components, continuity and changes of green areas mentioned in quarter (mahalle) units of the Ayasofya District (nâhiye) according to ‘The Cadastral Survey (Tapu Tahrir) Registers of Istanbul Waqfs dated 1546 and 1600'. In order to understand the green areas and make interpretations about them, it was considered necessary to understand the urban characteristics and settlement patterns of the Ayasofya District. To achieve this, the urban elements of the Ayasofya District that may have affected the character of the green areas has been researched and compiled. Then, maps were developed in the GIS (Geographic Information System) program to understand the status of the city when the dates of the cadastral survey registers. Afterward, tables were prepared containing the settlement characteristics, their green areas, and their components and numbers. Tables were compared to each other and to maps, and conclusions were drawn. Then, all data supported by visual and written sources related to the period were evaluated and interpreted considering the respective years that they were registered. As a result, the general settlement plan of the city and the status character of the green areas in the settled areas as well as the relationship of the green areas with the structures they are attached to was determined. Furthermore, the distribution of the green areas in the quarters, their density and location, and the reasons for the differences between the 1546 and the 1600 registers have been discussed.
Emine Çoban Şahin