Dolapdere semti ve Evangelistria Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi koruma önerileri

Abstract

19.yüzyılda Tatavla'nın kalabalıklaşması sonucu Tatavla Tepesi eteklerinde Evangelistria semti (Yenişehir) gelişmiştir. `Tatavla` İstanbul'un Pera'dan sonra en kalabalık Rum nüfusunu barındıran semtiydi. 1857 yılında etrafı bostan ve bahçelerle çevrili geniş alanda Yenişehir mahallesi sakinleri tarafından Ayios Dimitrios kilisesine bağlı olarak küçük ve ahşap konstrüksiyonlu Kutsal Meryem Ana kilisesi kurulmuş; ahşap kilise yerine günümüzde mevcut olan Evangelistria Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi 1877-1893 yılları arasında inşa edilmiştir. Naos giriş kapısı üzerinde yer alan kitabeye göre Kilise 1894 yılında ibadete açılmıştır. İki veya üç katlı ahşap konutlardan oluşan Tatavla'nın büyük bölümü 1929 yılı yangında yok olmuş; yangından sonra Tatavla tepesi ve eteklerinde farklı yapım teknikleri ve üslupta yapılar inşa edilmiştir.Evangelistria Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi adını Hz.Meryem'in hamile olduğunun müjdelendiği Evangelizmos Yortusu'dan almaktadır (Aleksandru, 1996, s.148). Mimarı Petraki D. Meimaridis olan Dolapdere Evangelistria Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi İstanbul Başpiskoposluğu'na bağlı bir cemaat kilisesidir. Evangelistria Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi Dolapdere'de eski adı ile Kilise Sokağı'ndan girilen bir avlu içinde yer almaktadır. Plan ölçüleri 29.52m x 17.03m olan kilisenin tasarımında kubbe önemli bir rol oynamaktadır. Narteksten ve merdiven bölümlerinden birer kapıyla geçilen naos kapalı Yunan haçı plan şemasındadır. Galeri katlarına çıkış sağlayan merdivenler narteksin iki yanında yer almaktadır. Örtü sistemi yükseltilmiş bir orta kubbe, çapraz tonozlu kollar ve küçük kubbelerle örtülen köşelerden meydana gelmektedir. Naosun ortasında yer alan ayakları birbirine bağlayan kemerlerin oluşturduğu kare plandan kubbeye geçiş pandatiflerle sağlanmıştır.Evangelistria Kilise'si genelde Gotik etkiler taşımakla birlikte, yapı bütünüyle ele alındığında eklektik bir kilise olma özelliği göstermektedir. Duvarları ikona ve fresklerle bezeli Evangelistria Kilisesi'nin kubbe pandatiflerinde 6 kanatlı Serafim melekleri, kubbe ortasında Pantokrator İsa çevresinde 4 melek yer almaktadır. Ziyaretçiler için kiliseye adını veren Meryem Ana ikonası çok önemlidir. 1955-56 yıllarında kilise 6000-700 kayıtlı cemaate sahipken günümüzde Evangelistria Kilisesi'ne kayıtlı cemaat 23 kişiye düşmüş; Pazar ayinlerine 10-12 kişi katılmaktadır.Evangelistria Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi Osmanlı İmparatorluğunda Tanzimat ve Islahat fermanları sonrasında inşa edilen kubbeli kiliselerden biridir. 19.yüzyıl sonunda gelişen Yenişehir semtinin sivil mimarlık örnekleri arasında kilise büyüklüğü ile öne çıkmakta, cemaatinin kimliğini vurgulayan sembolik değer taşımaktadır.Beyoğlu'nun önemli bir parçasını oluşturan ve 19.yüzyıl gayrimüslim yerleşiminin izlerini günümüze taşıyan Dolapdere semti İstanbul'un sosyal ve etnik kimliğinin önemli bir parçasını oluşturmaktadır. İstanbul'da planlanan ve hayata geçirilen kentsel yenileme projeleri artarken Dolapdere'de tarihi değerlerin korunarak yaşam kalitesinin yükseltmesi ve oluşturulacak koruma modelinin acil olarak hayata geçirilmesi gerekmektedir. Kilisesi'nin çevresiyle birlikte korunarak yaşatılması, semtin tarihi ve kültürel değerlerinin korunması için bir koruma önerisi hazırlanmasının yerinde olacağı düşünülmektedir. Evangelistria Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi'nin çevresindeki kontrolsüz değişimi durdurmak ve mahallede yaşam koşullarını iyileştirmek büyük önem taşımaktadır.Kilisenin çevresiyle beraber değerlendirilmesi ve semtte yer alan sivil mimarlık örneklerinin bütünleşik olarak korunmasının çöküntü bölgesi haline gelmiş başka tarihi kent parçaları için iyi bir örnek oluşturacağı düşünülmektedir.

In the 16th century, Ayios Dimitrios Church was constructed by the Greek Orthodox community on the hill to the north of Kasımpaşa. A neighborhood developed around this church in the following centuries. The area was called `Ayios Dimitrios` hills or `Tatavla` due to the imperial stables which existed in the vicinity. With the growth of the population in the 19th century, the district extended towards the south and the west side of Dolapdere, a small creek. Named `Dolapdere` because of the water wheels on it, the small stream was later covered over and became the main road (Dolapdere Street) connecting the north shore of the Golden Horn to Tatavla and Şişli.In the 19th century, Evangelistria district (Yenişehir) developed on the lower slopes of the Tatavla hill as an extension of the densely populated Tatavla. A small timber structured church was established by the Greek Orthodox residents of the Yenişehir region in 1857. The church, which was the property of Agios Dimitrios Church, was surrounded by gardens. After 20 years, the present Evangelistria Church, which is made of stone, was raised in the place of the timber chapel.The thesis aims to research the history of the Tatavla district and to contribute to the conservation of its historic and cultural values. The book `Ta Tatavla - İstoria Ton Tatavlan` (1913) written by Pamfilu Melisinos Hristodulu, the religious leader of Tatavla in 1912, is an important source for the history of Tatavla. The 1857 dated registry certificate (`Sigilion`) of the Evangelistria Greek Orthodox Church is another important document providing information about the establishment of the church and the neighborhood. The notes of European travellers visiting the district, their engravings and old maps provide information about the historical development of the church and the settlement. According to photos and maps from the 19th century, the settlement around the Church consisted mostly of small timber houses with gardens. Photos taken by Achille Samandji in early 20th century are the most detailed visual documents providing information about the district. In these pictures, the Evangelistria Church dominates the skyline of the Dolapdere valley and reflects the Greek identity of the community living around.The foundation date of the Church is 1894 according to the inscription above the lintel of the main entrance. In the Ottoman Empire, the Christian population were not permitted to construct monumental churches with domes until the the Constitutional reforms in 1839. Thus architect Petraki D. Meimaridis was able to design a domed church; an impressive monument dominating the timber houses on the hillside.The Church takes its name from the Annunciation and is linked to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate at Fener. It is the property of the `Beyoğlu Yenişehir Evangelistria Greek Orthodox Foundation`. A Holy spring (Theotoku Ayazma ) is attached to the northwest wall of the church and is accessed through Hacı İlbey Street. A house for the priest and a meeting hall are located to the southeast of the Church. The plan of the church is in the form of a Greek Cross, measuring 29.52 m x 17.03 m. The ground floor consists of a narthex, a naos, a bema, an apse, a prothesis and a diakonikon. Timber stairs, located on either side of the narthex, lead to the gallery floors. The central space is covered by a dome; cross-vaults cover the arms and the upper gallery. The main dome rises above a high drum and is the most prominent element of the interior space. The transition from the square plan to the base of the main dome is by pendentives.The Church is eclectic in style; the towers at the entrance façade have pointed arches and pyramidal caps recalling the Gothic. The central dome has a brick drum with an undulating cornice; a feature which is Neo-Byzantine in style.The interior surfaces are adorned with icons. Six-winged Seraphim angels are painted on the pendentives. Christ Pantocrator and four angels are visible on the central dome. Annunciation of the Virgin icon is the most important for the visitors. The architectural decoration, liturgical elements and icons of the Evangelistria Greek Orthodox Church are also eclectic in style.Evangelistria Church had a registered congregation of 6000-7000 people between the years 1955-56 but today the number is reduced to 23. Nowadays, the Sunday sermons are attended by 10-12 people. Although the congregation of the Evangelistria Church is decreasing, there is hope that the number of visitors will increase, if the church and its value is better known at the national and international level. With its special design qualities, the monument is one of the outstanding 19th century churches in Istanbul and deserves to be visited and appreciated by many people.Istanbul is a historic city with many neighborhoods from the ninetenth century. Dolapdere District is one of the Greek neighborhoods and provides evidence about Istanbul's social and ethnic character in the 19th century. Unfortunately, the 19th century urban fabric of Tatavla, consisting of two or three story timber houses, was destroyed by a fire in 1929. After the fire, the houses along the valley and on the hillside were built in a mixed construction system and style. Due to the socio-economic changes taking place in Turkey between the years 1923-1955, many Greeks left Istanbul. This has led to changes in the physical and social structure of Tatavla in the second half of the 20th century. Migration to Istanbul from the eastern cities of Turkey and the development of the green fields around Tatavla have resulted in striking changes on the outlook of the settlement.Rehabilitation of old urban areas is an important issue in modern times. Dolapdere district, which is located on the north side of the Golden Horn and outside the medieval walls of Galata, is an important part of 19th century Istanbul. At the moment Dolapdere is on the verge of a major transformation. There is need to develop a protection measures in order to protect the historic fabric and raise the quality of life in Dolapdere. The Evangelistria Church and some of the houses around it are listed as historic buildings and are under legal protection but Dolapdere, as a region, is not scheduled as a conservation area. Appropriate planning rules and protection measures should be set, in order to sustain the urban memory and historic value of the region.The area, starting from the Tatavla hill and covering Yenişehir, was selected for detailed survey and research. The historical development of the area was studied and analyses of the current status were made. The survey showed that the settlement is threatened by significant changes and that the losses may increase, if there is no control. In this part of the town, historic houses are small in number and dispersed. The number of listed buildings is small. The lack of legal protection makes it difficult to control the pressures for extensive development. The number of renewal projects aiming to transform the area are pending. The development trends in the area may lead to more destruction and change in the area. It is of major importance to stop further loss from the historic fabric around the Evangelistria Greek Orthodox Church and to improve the living conditions in the neighborhood. For this purpose, a small conservation area was defined around the Evangelistria Church and proposals were developed to conserve the monument and its surroundings.The first step in developing a proper conservation project for the Evangelistria Greek Orthodox Church was documentation. Thus the church and the surrounding buildings were studied in detail. 1/50 scale survey documents were prepared with the help of modern technology; a total station with laser and Laser Scanning technique were used. Points necessary to complete the survey were measured optically and the coordinates of the points (x, y and z coordinates) were transferred to CAD application and evaluated. In order to document the wall surfaces precisely, control points scattered on the elevations were recorded with the help of the total station and evaluated likewise. The photographs and the processed control points were overlapped and drawn in CAD application. 3D modelling was chosen for accurate and detailed survey of the decorated ceilings of the church.The Evangelistria Church continues to serve its original function. Although it has been subjected to changes and repairs, its original features are preserved. Reconstitution drawings were prepared using historic documents and the photo archive of the Church, which has a good collection of pictures. One of the major reconstitution problems was related to the Theotoku Hagiasma in the courtyard of the church. Researches revealed that the Holy spring building was not part of the original design; it was added later.Extensive research was carried out about the construction materials. The Evangelistria Church was built mainly of stone and brick, the stones on the facades have different characteristics and show different degrees of deterioration. The conservation of the exterior facades and the ceiling of the church have priority due to aesthetic and safety reasons. Experts from the Conservation Implementation and Control Bureau (KUDEB) of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality were consulted in order to analyze and specify the types of materials and the causes of decay. The stone samples taken from the facades provided detailed information about the type of stones and deterioration processes. The type of materials and deterioration processes were indicated on elevation drawings. A set of documents with proposed interventions was developed.The study aims to stop the deterioration and extensive transformation pressures in Dolapdere and develop proposals to make the district healthier, establishing a safe environment. At the moment, the area around the Church is administered by two different municipalities, namely Beyoğlu and Şişli. This creates difficulty in management. To allow integrated conservation, which is in accordance with topography, `Akagalar Street` is proposed to become the new border between the counties of Sisli-Beyoglu. The conservation proposal, which has been developed to conserve a monument along with its surroundings, intends to set a good example for conservation of other neglected parts of the city.Within the scope of this dissertation, detailed studies have been undertaken to conserve the Evangelistria Greek Orthodox Church and its vicinity. It is hoped that, drawing attention to the physical and social problems of this significant monument and its vicinity will help to the conservation of the Dolapdere district. Evangelistria Greek Orthodox Church will continue to function and open its doors to visitors who will be interested in its history and artistic treasures. The conservation project will facilitate the conservation of the church and the annex buildings.Urgent action must be taken to preserve the existing historic buildings and improve them by rehabilitation and refurbishment. The scale of the buildings near the Church need to be controlled. Stories added on top of small buildings should be removed in order to improve the visibilty of the Church and its better appreciation. The proposal to conserve the historic buildings of the area and improve living conditions by rehabilitation will hopefully revive the area and help it to be better integrated to Beyoğlu and the metropolitan areas. If the area becomes safer, it will attract residents who can care for their neighborhood.