A Morphological Analysis on the Transformation of Ottoman Cities during the Tanzimat Era

Ottoman Empire witnessed radical changes and transformations in the economic, social, political and legal fields duringthe 19th century. Especially, with the proclamation of the Tanzimat Edict in 1839, several reforms were issued tostrengthen the relations with the West. It was a period of reform and westernization where new orders werespecifically structured for Istanbul and later implemented into the selected cities of the empire. Although these newlyintroduced legal reforms had an impact on the urban fabric, the main factor driving the spatial transformation inOttoman cities was the need to solve problems related to fires, migration and population growth. Therefore, this studyaims to examine the changes brought about by the reforms specifically developed for the city and urban space duringthe Tanzimat Era. Through an analysis on urban morphology, this study focuses on understanding the impact ofTanzimat reforms on spatial transformation of various Ottoman cities – except the capital city İstanbul – that exhibitsimilar urban characteristics and patterns of change.