Melis Cankara
Melis Cankara worked as an architect in various offices in Istanbul between 2003-2016. After completing her doctoral studies, she joined SALT Research as a senior archivist (2016-2018). Her research interests, which lie at the intersection of architecture, history, and archival studies, are Crete, the population exchange between Greece & Turkey, spatial continuity, migration and displacement, 20th-century architecture & design archives in Turkey, archiving born-digital materials. She was awarded by the State Scholarships Foundation (IKY) in 2012, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) in 2013, The American Research Institute in Turkey (ARIT) in 2015, the Alexander S. Onassis Foundations in 2019 for her research in Greece. Between 2019-2021 she worked as a post-doc researcher at The Institute for Mediterranean Studies (IMS). Since 2016, she has been contributing to Manifold with texts focusing on Crete, everyday life, and design. Currently, she is working on the Me Project, which she initiated in cooperation with Manifold in fall 2020.
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Bülent Tanju
Address: https://manifold.press/indeks/melis-cankara
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z1iPZCC1m4
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Bülent Tanju
Address: https://manifold.press/indeks/melis-cankara
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z1iPZCC1m4
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Papers by Melis Cankara
The Greek-Turkish population exchange convention of 1923 had major effects on both countries in terms of politics, economy, society, and space. Some of the negative impacts were minimized over time. However, there are some long-term impacts, for instance on space, that are still observable in the cities we live in, even though a full century has passed since the exchange. This article focuses on both the local and broader spatial consequences of the population exchange from a comparative perspective.
Keywords
Greek-Turkish population exchange – spatial transformation – spatial impacts of the population exchange
The main sources of this study are the exchange catalogs for Rethymnon that were created, by the Institute for Mediterranean Studies, using the archives of the population exchange commission, and partly published online; Rethymnon population records between 1900-1927; the output of the author’s fieldwork between the years 2013-2015 in Rethymnon and the liquidation requests (tasfiye talepnameleri) found in the State Archives of the Prime Ministry of the Republic of Turkey.
In this study, the street patterns are visualized according to the documents in the Rethymnon Refugee Rehabilitation Committee, and the economic and class dynamics that generated these patterns are investigated. The overall aim is to evaluate the spatial changes after the population exchange in the context of cultural hybridization and homogenization.
Bu çalışmanın temel kaynakları, bir kısmı online olarak Akdeniz Araştırmaları Enstitüsü tarafından Digital Crete projesi kapsamında yayınlanan Resmo Mülteci Rehabilitasyon Komitesi belgeleri, 1900-1927 tarihleri arasında tutulan Resmo Belediyesi kayıtları ve 2013-2015 yılları arasında yazarın Resmo’da yaptığı alan çalışmasıdır.
Bu araştırma ile, Resmo’da mübadelen geriye kalanların ve Resmo eski şehrin mübadele ertesinde geçirdiği değişimlerin homojenlik ve heterojenlik bağlamında tartışmaya açılması hedeflenmektedir.
A text, based on the writer’s experiences, on ordinary things and practices associated with the feelings of belonging, familiarity, and comfort that transform any space into a home.
In the context of architecture offices, institutions and researchers, this themed issue deals with the attempts on the present problems about and future state of born-digital materials, which caused a reconsideration of archival notions' definitions and standards. This complex set of problems concerns various other professions besides architecture, however, the intentions, motivations and support of architects are critical for the solution. In other words, today’s architects owe the ways to save as to the future.
Book Chapters by Melis Cankara
Thesis by Melis Cankara
Keywords: Spatial organization, human-environment interaction, culture-occupant relationship, privacy, spatial continuity, space syntax
Rethymno was chosen for two main reasons. Firstly, the architecture in this city is more hybrid than the others on the island. Secondly, the existing primary sources both encourage and make it possible to take up the issue. The main sources for this dissertation are Rethymno Refugee Rehabilitation Committee documents, and the Municipality of Rethymno records held between 1900‐1927. These are found in the archives of the Institute of Mediterranean Studies in Rethymno‐Crete.
While, through the archival and field works, as well as the literature survey, the impact of the population exchange on the spatial and socio‐cultural structure of the Old City in
Rethymno was being studied, it has been concluded that this exchange, aiming at the ideal of homogenization for both nation‐states, resulted in the cultural heterogenization in the Old City in Rethymno. Thus, with this intervention that seems to be a rupture, the city continued its centuries‐long path of hybridization.
As a result of this research, it is argued that the morphology of the city of Rethymno in the 20th century was determined by the impact of inhabitants. The state in the 20th‐ Century Rethymno has been a key factor in regulating the change of inhabitants and indirectly transforming the urban space.
Keywords: The island of Crete, Rethymno, 1923 Population Exchange between Turkey and Greece, Cultural hybridization
Conferences by Melis Cankara
The main sources of this study are the exchange catalogs for Rethymnon that were created by the Institute for Mediterranean Studies using the archives of the population exchange commission, and partly published online; Rethymno Municipality records between 1900-1927 and 1927-1940; the output of the author’s fieldwork between the years 2013-2019 in Rethymno.
The proposed study, dealing with the various forms of human displacement and its spatial consequences in Rethymno during the last century, is an attempt to remind us that we are faced with the danger of being displaced at any time in this world. It is impossible to be indifferent to human displacement and dispossession. After all, “The homeland will be when we are all strangers”.
Bu çalışmanın odağı, Girit’in en küçük şehri olan Resmo’dur. 1923 yılında Türkiye-Yunanistan arasında gerçekleşen zorunlu nüfus mübadelesi Resmo’daki mülkiyetin ve dolayısıyla mülkiyet dokusunun değişmesine neden olan önemli toplumsal olaylardan bir tanesidir. Bunun yanı sıra, Resmo’nun 2. Dünya savaşı sırasında Merkür Harekâtı ile Alman işgalinde kalmasının, 1970’lerde yaşanan turizm patlamasının ve buna bağlı olarak Resmo Eski Şehir’in koruma altına alınmasının ve 1973’te Girit Üniversitesi’nin kuruluşuyla birlikte dışarıdan göç almaya başlamasının Resmo’nun kentsel mekânının değişiminde önemli etkileri olmuştur.
Devlet otoritesinin ve devletler arası ilişkilerin Resmo Eski Şehir’in biçimlenmesindeki etkileri, Resmo Mülteci Rehabilitasyon Komitesi belgeleri, Başbakanlık Cumhuriyet Arşivi’ndeki tasfiye talepnameleri, 1973 yılında mimar N. Moutsopoulos önderliğinde Selanik Aristoteles Üniversitesi tarafından hazırlanan Resmo Eski Şehir Koruma ve Geliştirme Planı ve 2013-2015 yılları arasında yazarın Resmo’da yaptığı alan çalışması gibi birincil kaynaklar ve literatürdeki ikincil kaynaklar üzerinden tartışılacaktır.
The main sources of this study are the exchange catalogs for Rethymno that were created, by the Institute for Mediterranean Studies, using the archives of the population exchange commission, and partly published online; Rethymno population records between 1900-1927; the output of the author’s fieldwork between the years 2013-2015 in Rethymnon and the liquidation requests (tasfiye talepnamesi) found in the State Archives of the Prime Ministry of the Republic of Turkey.
In this study, neighborhood relations of Christians and Muslims in Rethymno, the third-largest city of Crete, on the eve of mandatory population exchange that took place between Turkey and Greece, and the spatial equivalent of this situation are examined. The aim is to make visible the street patterns and investigate, according to the documents in the Rethymno Refugee Rehabilitation Committee, the economic and class dynamics that generated these patterns.
Key Words
Crete-Rethymno, The population exchange between Turkey and Greece, Neighborhood Relations Between Christians and Muslims
Podcast by Melis Cankara
Podcast Türkçe ve Süresi 43:11
Podcast Türkçe ve Süresi 40:12
Hatayı tanımlayabilmek, hatayla yüzleşmek, hatayla baş edebilmek, hatadan öğrenebilmek ve hatayı konuşabilmek: Kısaca hatayı sahiplenebilmek. Ofis sahibi, akademisyen, mimarlık tarihçisi, koruma uzmanı, yayıncı, editör, öğrenci, ofiste ya da şantiyede çalışan bir mimar için hatanın farklı tanımları ve anlamları olmalı. Niyetim hem hatanın sınırlarını ve farklı anlamlarını keşfedebilmek, hem de mimarlığı başka türlü konuşmaya çalışmak. Mimarlığı sonuç ürün üzerinden değil, süreç üzerinden konuşabilmek ve sıklıkla karşılaştığımız gibi yapılardan ya da yapılanlardan değil, yapılamayanlardan, olmayanlardan başlamak söze. Ancak ironik bir biçimde hata da "yapı"lan bir şey, belki şimdilik sadece biraz görünmez!
İlk bölümde konuğum mimar Sevince Bayrak ile yaptığımız söyleşi 9 Ağustos 2022'de Zoom'da gerçekleşti.
Podcast Türkçe ve Süresi 47:23
The Greek-Turkish population exchange convention of 1923 had major effects on both countries in terms of politics, economy, society, and space. Some of the negative impacts were minimized over time. However, there are some long-term impacts, for instance on space, that are still observable in the cities we live in, even though a full century has passed since the exchange. This article focuses on both the local and broader spatial consequences of the population exchange from a comparative perspective.
Keywords
Greek-Turkish population exchange – spatial transformation – spatial impacts of the population exchange
The main sources of this study are the exchange catalogs for Rethymnon that were created, by the Institute for Mediterranean Studies, using the archives of the population exchange commission, and partly published online; Rethymnon population records between 1900-1927; the output of the author’s fieldwork between the years 2013-2015 in Rethymnon and the liquidation requests (tasfiye talepnameleri) found in the State Archives of the Prime Ministry of the Republic of Turkey.
In this study, the street patterns are visualized according to the documents in the Rethymnon Refugee Rehabilitation Committee, and the economic and class dynamics that generated these patterns are investigated. The overall aim is to evaluate the spatial changes after the population exchange in the context of cultural hybridization and homogenization.
Bu çalışmanın temel kaynakları, bir kısmı online olarak Akdeniz Araştırmaları Enstitüsü tarafından Digital Crete projesi kapsamında yayınlanan Resmo Mülteci Rehabilitasyon Komitesi belgeleri, 1900-1927 tarihleri arasında tutulan Resmo Belediyesi kayıtları ve 2013-2015 yılları arasında yazarın Resmo’da yaptığı alan çalışmasıdır.
Bu araştırma ile, Resmo’da mübadelen geriye kalanların ve Resmo eski şehrin mübadele ertesinde geçirdiği değişimlerin homojenlik ve heterojenlik bağlamında tartışmaya açılması hedeflenmektedir.
A text, based on the writer’s experiences, on ordinary things and practices associated with the feelings of belonging, familiarity, and comfort that transform any space into a home.
In the context of architecture offices, institutions and researchers, this themed issue deals with the attempts on the present problems about and future state of born-digital materials, which caused a reconsideration of archival notions' definitions and standards. This complex set of problems concerns various other professions besides architecture, however, the intentions, motivations and support of architects are critical for the solution. In other words, today’s architects owe the ways to save as to the future.
Keywords: Spatial organization, human-environment interaction, culture-occupant relationship, privacy, spatial continuity, space syntax
Rethymno was chosen for two main reasons. Firstly, the architecture in this city is more hybrid than the others on the island. Secondly, the existing primary sources both encourage and make it possible to take up the issue. The main sources for this dissertation are Rethymno Refugee Rehabilitation Committee documents, and the Municipality of Rethymno records held between 1900‐1927. These are found in the archives of the Institute of Mediterranean Studies in Rethymno‐Crete.
While, through the archival and field works, as well as the literature survey, the impact of the population exchange on the spatial and socio‐cultural structure of the Old City in
Rethymno was being studied, it has been concluded that this exchange, aiming at the ideal of homogenization for both nation‐states, resulted in the cultural heterogenization in the Old City in Rethymno. Thus, with this intervention that seems to be a rupture, the city continued its centuries‐long path of hybridization.
As a result of this research, it is argued that the morphology of the city of Rethymno in the 20th century was determined by the impact of inhabitants. The state in the 20th‐ Century Rethymno has been a key factor in regulating the change of inhabitants and indirectly transforming the urban space.
Keywords: The island of Crete, Rethymno, 1923 Population Exchange between Turkey and Greece, Cultural hybridization
The main sources of this study are the exchange catalogs for Rethymnon that were created by the Institute for Mediterranean Studies using the archives of the population exchange commission, and partly published online; Rethymno Municipality records between 1900-1927 and 1927-1940; the output of the author’s fieldwork between the years 2013-2019 in Rethymno.
The proposed study, dealing with the various forms of human displacement and its spatial consequences in Rethymno during the last century, is an attempt to remind us that we are faced with the danger of being displaced at any time in this world. It is impossible to be indifferent to human displacement and dispossession. After all, “The homeland will be when we are all strangers”.
Bu çalışmanın odağı, Girit’in en küçük şehri olan Resmo’dur. 1923 yılında Türkiye-Yunanistan arasında gerçekleşen zorunlu nüfus mübadelesi Resmo’daki mülkiyetin ve dolayısıyla mülkiyet dokusunun değişmesine neden olan önemli toplumsal olaylardan bir tanesidir. Bunun yanı sıra, Resmo’nun 2. Dünya savaşı sırasında Merkür Harekâtı ile Alman işgalinde kalmasının, 1970’lerde yaşanan turizm patlamasının ve buna bağlı olarak Resmo Eski Şehir’in koruma altına alınmasının ve 1973’te Girit Üniversitesi’nin kuruluşuyla birlikte dışarıdan göç almaya başlamasının Resmo’nun kentsel mekânının değişiminde önemli etkileri olmuştur.
Devlet otoritesinin ve devletler arası ilişkilerin Resmo Eski Şehir’in biçimlenmesindeki etkileri, Resmo Mülteci Rehabilitasyon Komitesi belgeleri, Başbakanlık Cumhuriyet Arşivi’ndeki tasfiye talepnameleri, 1973 yılında mimar N. Moutsopoulos önderliğinde Selanik Aristoteles Üniversitesi tarafından hazırlanan Resmo Eski Şehir Koruma ve Geliştirme Planı ve 2013-2015 yılları arasında yazarın Resmo’da yaptığı alan çalışması gibi birincil kaynaklar ve literatürdeki ikincil kaynaklar üzerinden tartışılacaktır.
The main sources of this study are the exchange catalogs for Rethymno that were created, by the Institute for Mediterranean Studies, using the archives of the population exchange commission, and partly published online; Rethymno population records between 1900-1927; the output of the author’s fieldwork between the years 2013-2015 in Rethymnon and the liquidation requests (tasfiye talepnamesi) found in the State Archives of the Prime Ministry of the Republic of Turkey.
In this study, neighborhood relations of Christians and Muslims in Rethymno, the third-largest city of Crete, on the eve of mandatory population exchange that took place between Turkey and Greece, and the spatial equivalent of this situation are examined. The aim is to make visible the street patterns and investigate, according to the documents in the Rethymno Refugee Rehabilitation Committee, the economic and class dynamics that generated these patterns.
Key Words
Crete-Rethymno, The population exchange between Turkey and Greece, Neighborhood Relations Between Christians and Muslims
Podcast Türkçe ve Süresi 43:11
Podcast Türkçe ve Süresi 40:12
Hatayı tanımlayabilmek, hatayla yüzleşmek, hatayla baş edebilmek, hatadan öğrenebilmek ve hatayı konuşabilmek: Kısaca hatayı sahiplenebilmek. Ofis sahibi, akademisyen, mimarlık tarihçisi, koruma uzmanı, yayıncı, editör, öğrenci, ofiste ya da şantiyede çalışan bir mimar için hatanın farklı tanımları ve anlamları olmalı. Niyetim hem hatanın sınırlarını ve farklı anlamlarını keşfedebilmek, hem de mimarlığı başka türlü konuşmaya çalışmak. Mimarlığı sonuç ürün üzerinden değil, süreç üzerinden konuşabilmek ve sıklıkla karşılaştığımız gibi yapılardan ya da yapılanlardan değil, yapılamayanlardan, olmayanlardan başlamak söze. Ancak ironik bir biçimde hata da "yapı"lan bir şey, belki şimdilik sadece biraz görünmez!
İlk bölümde konuğum mimar Sevince Bayrak ile yaptığımız söyleşi 9 Ağustos 2022'de Zoom'da gerçekleşti.
Podcast Türkçe ve Süresi 47:23