Reconstructing the 1882 Historical Urban Landscape of Kayseri Based on a Historical Map Translation

Abstract

This research aims to remap Jean S. Eutychides' 1882 nontopographic map of the city of Kayseri using 19th- and 20th-century maps and visual and written sources in order to reveal undiscovered, unrecognized, or even unknown terrain, patterns, and major buildings, as well as historical urban landscape elements, from a certain period of history. The study employs data reading for historical geography, urban spatial analysis, and visualization applications. The study uses the descriptive, analytical, and explanatory approaches of the British school of morphology, as well as the digital historical map translation method based on historical maps. The research adheres to a data reading method that supports Conzen's morphogenetic spatial analysis method. The study carries out a spatial analysis of the characteristic features of the city by combining qualitative and quantitative data through historical, sociological, and human geographic approaches using the software programs Netcad and SketchUp. As a result of the research, the study reproduces the 1882 map of the city of Kayseri to depict the land relief, land use, major buildings, building groups, and landscape elements. The results show the city of Kayseri to be beyond the spatial organization and development trends of other Anatolian cities.