2026/06/12 by Emine Şeyda Bayram, Elif Mıhçıoğlu · 1 voice
Engineering · Social Sciences · #History and Cultural Heritage #Urban Design and Spatial Analysis #Urban Planning and Governance
paper · doi:10.1163/18775462-bja10089
openalex publication_date 2026/06/12 · openalex created_date 2026/06/15 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/21
Abstract Bursa, Turkey’s fourth-largest city, possesses a rich and layered historical legacy shaped by successive civilizations, including the Bithynians, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans, the last of whom established it as their first capital in 1326. Despite significant industrialization, migration, and globalization throughout the twentieth century, the city’s Historic Centre has retained its cultural and spatial significance, earning UNESCO World Heritage status in 2014. This study focuses on Atatürk Avenue, the principal artery of the Historic City Centre, tracing its evolution from a vibrant Ottoman commercial and social hub to a modern urban axis dominated by reinforced-concrete buildings. Employing urban morphological methods, the research presented here uses maps to examine the thoroughfare’s development from 1862 to 2018, highlighting the challenges of preserving historical identity amid contemporary urbanization. The findings contribute to a broader discourse on reconciling heritage conservation and modern development, emphasizing the Avenue’s evolving role within the historical fabric of Bursa.