A study of Ottoman modernisation on the city : the sixth municipal district of İstanbul (1858-1877)

Abstract

This thesis attempts to analyse the first European style municipal administration of the Ottoman Empire as a manifestation of its modernisation attempts and the influence of European powers in the 19th century. The Sixth Municipal District was established in 1858 in a wealthy area comprising Beyoğlu and Galata as a response to growing demand on the side of the inhabitants of the area, most of whom were non-Muslims and foreigners. Coinciding with the Ottoman reform movements of the era, the establishment of the Sixth District had marked a major turning point in the transformation of the Ottoman urban administration. Hence, this thesis tries to indicate that the reforms were directly influential in the reshaping of Istanbul and therefore the Sixth District’s history is parallel to that of Tanzimat. It also tries to demonstrate the intensity of change by describing the municipal practices of the classical period and putting the District in historical perspective The motivation in the selection of this area is also important hence; this thesis also tries to evaluate its reasons within the context of foreign influence in the Empire. Also, it tries to assess the District’s accomplishments and failures, and makes an effort to understand whether it had reached its goals.