Posts

Showing posts with the label Migration

Covering Balconies with Pimapen: A Subcultural Phenomenon

Image
The urbanization process in modern Turkey has been marked by the expansion of cities from their historical core to the periphery, a phenomenon largely driven by internal migration from rural to urban areas in the mid-twentieth century. This process was characterized by the construction of houses, commonly referred to as gecekondu, which were built by immigrants using their own financial resources and labor. Gecekondu not only served as a means of shelter but also contributed to the creation of a unique spatial subculture that persists to this day.As urbanization progressed and gecekondu gave way to apartment buildings, the traces of this subculture could be observed in details such as spatial economy, functional preferences, and construction materials. One notable example of such materials is PVC, commonly known as “Pimapen” in Turkish, which has left an indelible mark on the country’s built environment. Pimapen is widely used due to its affordability, accessibility, and flexibility in...

The Origin Story of a Neighborhood Berji Kristin: Tales from the Garbage Hills

Image
The extraordinary migration movements in the second half of the 20th century are undoubtedly the greatest dynamic in the formation of Turkish cities. The new settlements that are attached to the city periphery are called gecekondu, which means shanty houses. The neighborhoods organized around these shelters by the new working class of the city have created unique subcultures and have achieved various gains over time through struggles since their establishment. This study aims to make a urban analysis of Latife Tekin’s Berci Kristin’s Trash Tales, which is concerned with all these processes. Keywords: Berci Kristin’s Trash Tales, Latife Tekin, Literature, City, Neighborhood, Community, Migration.