Koylu, PınarKaraçor, Elif Kutay2020-05-012020-05-012010978-1-907801-10-5https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12684/617547th International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) World Congress -- MAY 28-30, 2010 -- Zuzhou, PEOPLES R CHINAWOS: 000290497400051Public spaces, open and accessible to all people, have played vital roles in the ecological, social and economic development of communities throughout the history. Multi-cultural structure of Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, generated the development of a wide range of public spaces. This paper explores the importance of the historical public open spaces in the sustainability of natural and cultural values, as well as the quality of life in urban areas. Literature, concerning the public spaces-especially the historical gardens-of Istanbul during the Ottoman Period, has been reviewed. Then, the transformations of those gardens and their present day conditions have been discussed. The paper calls attention to the importance of historical public spaces, mainly the historical gardens, as they enhance the interaction among people from different cultural and social classes, strengthen the ties between the past and the present, and contribute to the sustainability of natural and cultural values.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccesspublic spaceOttomanhistorical gardensConference Object236239N/A