A Life Dedicated to Istanbul: Çelik Gülersoy
Çelik Gülersoy, a man who performed great services with numerous projects, restorations and publications that have in particular been concerned with the protection and transmission of the historical heritage of Istanbul and the development of an awareness of what it means to be a resident of Istanbul, is a man of mission. Not only has he stood up for the precious things that have been lost to time (various works of arts, parks, such as Hidiv Palace, Fener Garden, Emirgan Woods), but he has also presented them to the public by endowing them with modern functions, thus enabling them to become living locations for today. Moreover, he has presented the residents of Istanbul who make use of these parks and buildings with the opportunity to become more informed about the eras and architectures of these locations. The services that Gülersoy rendered to Istanbul occurred between 1970 and 2000. In particular, in the Istanbul of the 1970’s, at a time when people had lost their hopes for the future, a time when dozens of people lost their lives due to the anarchy, a time when the city lost its identity, when there was improper urbanization, a time when problems increased daily, what Gülersoy did gave people the message that everything had not come to an end. In this sense, the services he provided and the studies he carried out, in addition to having an historical and cultural impact, have also had positive repercussions on social psychology.
NURİYE ÖZLEM ÇUHADAR
