Download - Delhi Heritage City

Medieval and Colonial Capital Cities of DelhiThe two distinct features of Istanbul are the GreatMosque Hagia Sofya and the covered centralmarket known as bedestan. Unlike many Islamiccities, where the Friday Mosque has a centralmarket, Istanbul did not have any such centralmarket spines with any of its Friday mosques. In18 th century a covered bazaar was designed andconstructed as a representation of a central marketplace known as the Bayuk Bedestan. Istanbul hasbeen designed as a trading city where tradingactivities of all kinds were concentrated in a centrallocation. This market place became the economiccentre of the city. The structure was built withfifteen domes having shops for craftsmen andtraders and inns for the travellers who would cometo the city to visit, pray or trade goods.COMPARATIVE ANALYSISPic 13: Grand Gateway of New Palace, Constantinople, Turkey; byFrith, Francis, 1850s to 1870s, Source: Victoria and Albert MuseumThe urban structure underwent another change in its planning with streets being widened and cul de sacstransformed into thoroughfares. The height of the buildings also increased and the traditional organicstreet pattern was transformed into a more rigid and geometrical grid pattern.The pre Islamic and the Islamic elements of the city form an unique silhouette of the Muslim Capital withminarets and domes surrounded by the late Roman period city walls. This uniqueness in city planningjustifies the powerful manifestation and amalgamation of various cultures over a period of time.Similar to Istanbul, Delhi has also been a political and cultural centre. The city has been strategicallylocated along the crossing road of trade which resulted in amalgamation of various architectural stylesand technology. Reflection of such syncretism was depicted through its tangible forms in the form ofmonumental architecture.Both Delhi and Istanbul have been the capital city of several Empires and a political, cultural and religiousurban centre. The strategic location of both cities (Istanbul located at the meeting point of Europe andAsia along the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea; and Delhi along the crossroads of the Silk Road) hasbeen the cause of enhanced trade from other regions, which contributed to its development.During the Roman and Byzantine rule, the city planning was done by having a primary road as the spine ofthe city along which ceremonies or parades and processions of the Imperial power could be takenthrough. Such a concept can also be seen in Delhi in Shahjahanabad, the Mughal city built in the 17thcentury AD where Chandni Chowk is designed to be the primary spine and the Rajpath for the Imperialcity built in 20th century AD.Similarities can also be drawn to the city planning during the Ottoman rule where the system of mohullas,kulliyes, nahiyes and cul de sacs as chowks are incorporated. Such elements of city planning principles canalso be seen in the 17th cen. AD Shahjahanabad. The Ottoman city was planned as a typical Islamic citywhile Shahjahanabad incorporated both Indian and Islamic principles. The 20th cen. city planning inIstanbul brought in a more rigid planning system for the city where the cul de sacs were made into openthoroughfares changing the original pattern of the medieval city planning. During this period, anothernew city was built in Delhi known as the New Delhi. The streets, boulevards and buildings were laid inaccordance with the planning principles of ‘City Beautiful’ and ‘Garden City’ movement.Traditional housing built in wood in Istanbul and of lime masonry construction in Delhi forms an integralcomponent representing unique human settlement which contributed to the urban fabric of the city.Architectural elements like domes, double storey height minarets, pendentives and stone inlay work areimmensely used after the onset of Ottoman Empire in Istanbul and with the coming of the Sultanate kingsin Delhi.In 1923 AD Istanbul was declared Republic and the capital was shifted to Ankara while Delhi continues tobe the capital city till present day.7/31/2012 INTACH, Delhi Chapter 11