Haydarpasa-Gebze Railway as a Heritage of Landscape Infrastructure

Abstract

The modernisation of the suburban railway on the Asian side of Istanbul is part of the ongoing Marmaray Project. The 44.2 km commuter line, composed of twenty-seven stations was opened in 1872, during the period of Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz. For the Ottomans the railway played a major role in the metamorphosis of the city/country. The establishment of railways marked a new era in the urban life of Ottoman towns and cities. The railway stations manifested modernisation, built to promote European architectural designs and became an integral part of urban social life. After the establishment of the Turkish Republic and the State Railways Company, the commuter line remained a key part of national policy and was seen as a manifestation of the young republic. The Marmaray Project aims to upgrade and join Asian and European suburban railway through a tunnel already built under the Bosporus. The work includes the demolition of old, original railway structures which are part of the architectural heritage of the historic railway network; also means the loss of an ecological green corridor. The research mainly discusses the need for preservation of the railway heritage, addressing its social and ecological benefits for the metropolitan city.