IN-PERSON ISTANBUL HERITAGE(S)

Abstract

In the historic and newly developed neighborhoods of Istanbul, contiguous clusters of minority cemeteries function as a “living archive” in which material elements and intangible practices intertwine, thus holding the promise of shedding new light on recent debates in urban memory and heritage. The aim of this study is to investigate how these burial grounds operate simultaneously as markers of plural pasts and as catalysts for more inclusive urban futures. Drawing on land registers, community records, and period maps, I first trace the spatial evolution and shifting boundaries of a series of mixed cemetery constellations (made up of Armenian, Greek Orthodox, Jewish, and Latin Catholic sites) located in three different districts (Balıklı, Şişli, and Acıbadem) in Istanbul. I then juxtapose spatial analysis (of boundaries, pathways, and land-use transformations) with ethnographic fieldwork (including semi‑structured interviews, participant observation, and informal surveys). My initial findings reveal that these cemetery clusters not only embody layered territorialities resulting from successive displacements, replacements, migrations, and community renewals, but they also accommodate ongoing rituals and maintenance practices that sustain living bonds between minority groups and the wider city. Rather than treating these burial sites as static relics, I argue that they constitute dynamic heritage ecosystems where material remains and living traditions co‑produce social memory and urban imaginaries. I finally take note of a series of instances of grassroots heritage mobilization which challenge both neglect and top‑down “sanitization.” By highlighting minority communities’ agency in caring for and re‑inscribing these spaces, I propose a model of heritage governance that values polyvocal narratives and adaptive reuse, paving the way for more equitable urban futures grounded in contested but shared pasts.