Sulukule (literally: "Water tower") is a historic quarter in the

Fatih Fatih () is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 15 km2, and its population is 368,227 (2022). It is home to almost all of the provincial authorities (including the mayor's office, police headquarters, metro ...

district of

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

, Turkey. It is within the area of Istanbul’s historic peninsula, adjacent to the western part of the city walls. The area has historically been occupied by Romani communities. Roma presence in this part of Istanbul dates back to

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

times, when upon Ottoman conquest in the 15th century, that the quarter became (reportedly) the first district in the world permanently settled by sedentary

Romani people in Turkey The Romani people in Turkey () are a Romani subgroup in the Republic of Türkiye. They are Sunni Muslims mostly of Sufi orientation. The majority speak Turkish as their first language and have adopted Turkish culture. Many have denied their ...

. Sulukule was notable for its entertainment houses, where the Romani performed music and dance to the visitors from in and outside Istanbul. The closure of these entertainment houses in 1992 precipitated serious socio-economic decline in the area.

Redevelopment and gentrification

In 2005, the ruling AKP authorities in the

and Greater Istanbul municipalities announced plans to redevelop Sulukule, demolishing most buildings and replacing them with far more expensive housing that was unaffordable to many who had previously lived there. Despite protests and objections, in 2008 the local government started compulsory purchase orders and forced evictions. It is claimed that these evictions disproportionately affected Romani residents. The redevelopment has since been used as a case study in "planned gentrification".

Notable people

* Sema Yildiz Romani dancer and actress.

Gallery

SulukuleHouse12.jpg SulukuleHouse13.jpg SulukuleHouse15.jpg

References

* Mimarizm.com
''Brief History of Sulukule.''
2008. * * {{Romani diaspora Quarters of Fatih Romani communities in Turkey Populated places established in the 15th century

Redevelopment and gentrification

Notable people

Gallery

See also

References