Han, Ayhan

İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi

Research Topic: The Langa Yenikapı Land Reclamation Area and the Formation of the Yalı Neighborhood (1750–1900)

Mr. Han is a PhD candidate in the Department of History of Architecture at Istanbul Technical University. His research interest are 18th century port cities on the Mediterranean, hydraulic and coastal engineering, and urban planning in early modern Ottoman cities. His dissertation tittle is ‘Langa Yenikapı Land Reclamation Area and the Formation of istanbul’s Yalı Neighborhood (1750-1900)’. During his fellowship at ANAMED he will be focusing on the reclaiming of land in the Theodosian Harbour and the construction of the Yalı Neighborhood which was built on a land fill in 1760s. He examines the construction techniques related to the production of the solid foundation in water as well as the constructing of piers, streets, public spaces, fountains, coffeehouse, storehouses, manufacturing facilities and residential buildings on the newly reclaimed land. He also researches the response of the wakf administration, city’s authorities and tenants following the two earthquakes in 1766 and 1893, and the fire in 1782.