Where is the cultural heritage?

Why are Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci Station, two of Istanbul's iconic landmarks, being designated as cultural and artistic hubs? Why aren't these historic buildings, which shape the city's identity, preserved in their original form? Aren't there other buildings or spaces in Istanbul that could foster cultural and artistic development? Will the buildings be preserved during all this? Dozens of questions like these arise.

As a reminder, as part of the construction of the Ankara-Istanbul High-Speed ​​Train (YHT) and Marmaray projects, train services at the station were suspended on June 19, 2013, and then completely canceled on July 24, 2014. During restoration work at the station, historical ruins from the ancient city of Chalcedon were discovered beneath the platforms. Following the investigation, it was decided to turn the area into an archaeological park, cover the ruins with protective coating, and exhibit them on-site. Subsequently, a protocol was signed between the General Directorate of Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, transferring the Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci station buildings—areas no longer used for railway purposes—to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for 29 years to be used for "culture and tourism." Following the signing of the protocol, Haydarpaşa Station and the housing units were evacuated. The result: Haydarpaşa Station has been closed for approximately 4,530 days.

Fast forward to today, and in a recent statement, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that the Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci stations would be transformed into "culture and arts islands." Haydarpaşa Solidarity stated, "Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci are train stations, not museums or performance halls," and emphasized that the transportation would be merely symbolic.

The statement also includes the following: “Haydarpaşa train stations are a place of workers, immigrants, students, exiles, reunions, and separations. Turning a site of social memory into a capital project is a betrayal of both the city's history and cultural heritage. Declaring a public space a 'private project area' is an unlawful plunder and an urban crime. Haydarpaşa Train Station is not just a building; it is a history of labor and the city. Hundreds of railroad workers worked, lived, and raised their children here. Our train stations, housing, workshops, warehouses, and train station restaurants were all places of solidarity. Now, these people are being quietly exiled. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism calls it a 'museum,' but in reality, they are evicting a working class.”

Speaking to our newspaper, Turkish historian, academic, and author Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı, Cultural and Natural Heritage Monitoring Platform Manager archaeologist-editor Nezih Başgelen, and art historian, painter, author, and sculptor Prof. Dr. Gürol Sözen explained why the Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci stations must be protected.

'MUST BE PASSED ON TO FUTURE GENERATIONS'

NEZIH BAŞGELEN (Cultural and Natural Heritage Monitoring Platform Manager, Archaeologist-Editor)

Istanbul's 8,500-year-old cultural heritage boasts a diversity unparalleled elsewhere. The Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci Stations, built during the Ottoman period as part of the Rumelia and Anatolia-Baghdad Railways, are crucial historical sites of memory for Istanbul, the only city in the world spanning two continents. These projects, envisioned for Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci Stations, which hold undeniable significance in Istanbul's history, also entail indispensable obligations and responsibilities. In this context, it is crucial to approach the Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci Station sites holistically and ensure their integration into the city's cultural life. It should not be forgotten how rapid and uncontrolled construction processes have destroyed many of Istanbul's distinguished historical monuments at the expense of money. It is a significant responsibility to ensure that Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci Stations, sites of memory with diverse lived experiences, are preserved for today's Istanbul and for future generations by adding value to them rationally.

THIS IS CALLED CITY IDENTITY!

PROF. DR. GÜROL SÖZEN (Art historian, painter, writer, sculptor)

Every city on earth is a whole with its nature, historical depth and cultural structure. The name of this is the urban identity. A great legacy for the past, the era it lives in and the future generations What a strange habit we have: As if we are sewing together rips in a sewing course! Puzzle and puzzle, make a mess!… Or, for some reason, it has become a tradition to set off in step with the refrain “Axes in our hands, long rope on our waist, we go to the forest, hey to the forest”. There is a truth: Not everything old is new, just as not everything new is contemporary. Especially when it comes to Haydarpaşa Train Station and Sirkeci Train Station. Those who have traveled to Europe and the Middle East, as well as to the city itself, know well that these journeys are also a visual feast. Especially if they are connected to the ferries, it means they have touched the virtue of the city. It meant that the arteries of the city can now breathe easily. Undoubtedly, the architectural texture of Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci train stations is also the stopping point of this identity. It is a color. At the same time, art and literature; it is also indispensable for poetry and short stories. When the artery of a city is cut, that city not only breaks away from its functionality but also begins to sever its ties with humane living, which is indispensable to social structure. Crowds, shoving, shouting and lifeless mobs begin to surround the city, so eat or sleep with it! All of this is not nostalgia, but cultural heritage. There is no use in wishing. Preserving this cultural heritage is not only preserving the physical appearance of that structure, but finding solutions without disrupting its chemistry. Every work of art, as in past civilizations, requires great care, especially when you consider the 12 thousand years of Anatolian geography. This is the essence of the architecture of the Ionian architects Hippodamos and Mimar Sinan, who were inspired by Alexander the Great. Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci stations were also a dream of those who got on and off with their suitcases and went to cities near and far. Two symbols of the neoclassical age are not only architecture, they are the artery of an identity. I know it is empty words, but; A city can only gain its identity not through fragmentary values, but through nature, history, art, science, architecture and, of course, literature.

'THEY SHOULD NOT BUILD A RESTAURANT OR A HOTEL!'

PROF. DR. İLBER ORTAYLI (Turkish historian, academician, author)

If the building stands, so does the city's memory. There's no decent opera house on the Anatolian side. They should turn Haydarpaşa into an opera house or a conservatory. They shouldn't hand it over to anyone, and they shouldn't even try to build restaurants or hotels. That's when it would be a disgrace.