The Ottoman State Between Urban Space and Environment: Preserving the Drinking Water of Istanbul

Abstract

This study reveals the contribution of environmental and sanitarian factors to the shaping of the cities, particularly the Ottoman capital Istanbul. This paper, focusing on the second half of the 19th century, discusses the man-made environmental destruction, the water shortage that emerged as a result of uncontrolled urbanization and the Ottoman state’s evacuation process of the Belgrad, Kömürcü and Bahçecik villages due to the threat of disease. Thusly, this paper aims to shed light on the extent to which Ottoman urbanization was exposed to environmental influences.