3. Cilt - Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı

While following the itinerary through the Boukoleon area by walking on orbeside the sea-walls between Küçük Aya Sofya Spor Kulübü and the MaritimeGate, coming to the defence-wall near the lighthouse tower and the devotionalcomplex of Kapı Ağası Mahmut Ağa, it will be possible to plunge into thethousand-years history of the Palace The installation of explicatory panels aboutthe Monumental Itinerary of the Boukoleon Harbour are planned at the centre ofthe gardens, in front of the Loggia, between the Monumental Landing Staircaseand the Lighthouse Tower on Sahil Yolu.Needless to say, museums and urban planning layout, as the completion of theitinerary and its opening to the public planned after fi ve years from the beginningof the works, will greatly contribute to the revitalization of the neighbourhood, witha rich history but still absent from cultural tourism rôutes in present-day İstanbul.The complexity of the history, archaeology and architecture of the area, wherethe two civilisations impose strong respect of the respective areas of infl uence, butalso the exaltation of both when they appear to be closely inter-related, requiresan equally complex museum project. In it the reshaping of the present-day urbanfabric will integrate with the ancient fabric as shown by the cartography of theperiods previous to the present. Some of the complexes of buildings identifi ed asfocal points of the area in its various historical phases will not only be restored butalso re-used for a better appreciation of the territory.The essential instruments of this reshaping and new use of the urban fabricwill be the itineraries linking the monuments of particular importance, respectingall the phases that helped to form the history of the area. These itineraries willbe of two different types: the fi rst, through the history of the city, begins fromthe Ottoman period and goes backwards to the early centuries of Byzantium; thesecond, through the different phases of development of the Palatine complex ofthe Emperors of Byzantium, follows the path (rediscovered by us) actually takenby the Emperors to reach the Hippodrome from the Harbour.The Monumental Itinerary of the Boukoleon Harbour, respecting all phases thathelped to form the Boukoleon history, will enhance particularly the fundamentalsector of the sea-walls where both itineraries start on the Sea of Marmara.In this context it may turn out to be necessary to plan new works (exhibitionpavilions, paths, pedestrian bridges, etc.). This activity consists in the defi nitionand planning of the structural elements and their links on the basis of a forecastin line with the architectonic and functional requirements, followed by verifi cationof the choices made, and fi nally checking on the new structural elements and theoverall stability.Onto the Monumental Itinerary of the Boukoleon Harbour converge both theWestern and the Eastern Itineraries, studied by Architect Giuseppe Berucci andby Architect Daniele Garnerone.118