The Influence of Landscape Descending on the Walled City's Identity of Nicosia, Northern Cyprus

Ref.: 239
Key theme: 03 Visual integrity of historic urban landscapes
Date of reception: 14/11/2008

AUTHORS (*Main author)

NUMAN, Ibrahim * (Turkey) - Eastern Mediterranean University,
FASLI, Mukaddes (Turkey) - Eastern Mediterranean University

ABSTRACT

Every place has different identities. The concept of a place identity as strong as creating images on people's mind even who haven't seen it before. A city/place can be considered as gigantic building which takes longer distance and much time to be perceived. According to the Hough (1990), the identity of a city/place, is a combination of cultural and natural history/ the variety of its ethics and interest group, its cultural and economic history, and its development pattern. Especially the historic cities or urban quarters are special due to their cultural heritage, urban pattern and landscaping.
Landscape is a major indigenous site potential for creating identity. Plants are the primary landscape materials that vary of texture, scale and colour, shape together with the seasonal changes. They are ideal for improving qualities of outdoor spaces. Landscape adds both aesthetical and functional qualities to a city/place besides positive psychological effect. It should not be forgotten that places lose their identity when they become indistinguishable from rest of the larger whole (Pulhan & Numan 2006).
In this research, it is aimed to evaluate the influence of landscape descending on the Walled City's Identity of Nicosia. Nicosia is the capital city of Cyprus that is an island in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. Due to its strategic location, it has been ruled by many nations through history. Lusignans (1192-1489), Venetians (1489-1571), Ottomans (1571-1878), British (1878-1960), Turkish Republic (1960-1974), after 1974-2008 are among the existing periods and societies in Cyprus. After 1963, the Walled City was divided into two parts with a buffer zone that divides the City into two equal parts. Northern and Southern Nicosia.

Northern Nicosia consists of two parts. They are the Walled City and the new developing areas. The Walled City is the historic urban quarter of the City. "It is widely accepted that historic urban quarters have a special place in the cultural and historical heritage of any country" (Doratli et al.,p.329). Furthermore, "historic urban quarters, as part of a wider totality, represent or reflect the elements of a city's cultural, social, economic, political, and architectural history. Similar to sites or areas of historical interest, historic urban quarters are also products of their epochs" (Doratli et al., 2007, p.66, German Commission for UNESCO, 1980).

Nicosia is different than most of the cities in the world with its star shape city walls, multi-cultural traditional pattern and landscaping.All societies who had lived on the City had a distinct culture, economic and administrative conditions. These features affected the built environment and landscaping of the City. The research clarified that, throughout history the Walled City had a green image created by a great potent of landscaping. There were great numbers of public and private gardens in the City. Those gardens were used intensively by the residents. The Walled City had kept it`s green image till to the British period ­around 1950. However, after the British Period, the existing landscapes have been decreasing and the city identity has changed. This study will evaluate the influence of landscaping on the City identity from the years 1192 to today by considering different periods experienced.

This study will start with theoretical information about identity, place identity and influences of landscaping on a place identity. Then, method of the research will be put forward. After that information will be given about the Walled City. Following that, the influence of landscaping on Nicosia's Walled City identity will be evaluated by considering the environmental and social changes. Finally, according to the findings, some proposals will be given in order to sustain green image of the Walled City.

The data required for this research will be collected through literature review, physical analysis and empirical observation methods.

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