Haydarpaşa

When I was in elementary school, in geography lesson I was taught that İstanbul is the city that connects Europe and Asia. Bosphorus divides İstanbul to two sides: European and Anatolian. You can take a boat from Karaköy at European side to Kadıköy at Anatolian side. In twenty minutes, you will be in another continent. The boat will stop at the landing deck in front of Haydarpaşa Train Station which is a historical building with its outstanding architecture and still active. Before you arrive, you will also see the ships loading and unloading containers to Haydarpaşa Dock, Marmara University, Selimiye Military post etc... They create and define the unique silouhette of Anatolian side. If you liked the idea, I would suggest you to hurry and take the trip because it may not be quite the same soon.

Current government is quite busy with “Haydarpaşa Project”. They already changed some laws in order to make the project possible. The changes include neutralizing any organization from preventing the project and reaction of society or associations seems to be completely ignored.

People of İstanbul and various public organizations hated the project. Why? Because the project offers to build seven skyscrapers which will become a Wolrd Trade Center at Kadıköy Coast, close the area for public use, ruin the silouhette and as an extension of Marmaray project turning Haydarpaşa Train Station into a museum. The project is named as”Haydarpaşa Manhattan Project” with a little sarcasm by locals because it is a silly attempt to turn Haydarpaşa into something like Manhattan.

I admit, Turkey is not good at preserving natural or historical treasures. We already ruined the context and most of the forests at the Bosphorus. And with projects like this it can be offically ruined. The project will violate the whole silouhette of Kadıköy and İstanbul. Buildings like Haydarpaşa Station will be crushed standing next to seventy-story meaninglessly high masses of concretes.

Aside from ruining the context, closing Haydarpaşa Station is another wrong decision. It’s elaborate architecture, high ceilings and location are all suitable for exhibitions. But if it becomes only a museum, it will lose its connection with most people. This is one of the buildings that people of İstanbul love the most. People actually have emotional bonds to this building.

Organizing exhibitions at Haydarpaşa Train Station sounds like a nice idea as long as it continues its function as a train station. This would be something that carries art and culture to public. But the project is going to convert public areas at Haydarpaşa district to restricted areas which you will need to pay or have permission to get in. Integrating Haydarpaşa station with Marmaray project and renewing its systems would be the best for both transportation and local people’s will. And the skyscrapers? Sounds like a bad joke.