The Istanbul Land Walls, also called the Theodosian Walls, were built in the beginning
of the 5th century CE. Despite their original construction as structures of defense,
the land walls and the areas surrounding them encapsulate a multi-layered
cultural landscape that bear the traces of various events, situations, and people
throughout the 1600-year-long history of the city.
The exhibition examines traces of different historical periods preserved in and
around the walls, discussing the relationship between the Land Walls and the
cultural landscapes that surround them. The exhibition features spiritual and religious
stories associated with the walls as well as stories from people who have
lived and/or are living around them and from other residents and travelers who
visited them. Through urban legends, historical photographs, scientific reports,
and quotes from literary sources, ON THE FRINGE aims to show the plurality of
memories, perspectives, and representations of this great monument.
A 1:500 scale, 13-meter long 3D architectural model, produced specially for the
exhibition, depicts the size and the location of the Land Walls and reveals the
walls’ relationships with their immediate environments. Within the context of the
exhibition, written and visual documents have been collected that refer to events
and situations that left their marks on the walls and their surrounding areas; those
that could be associated with particular locations were marked on the model and
accompanying map for the visitors to explore.
Designed by Yeşim Demir Pröhl, Demir Tasarım, the exhibition can be seen until
at ANAMED until 8 January.
