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Galata Tower in Istanbul: renovation with a jackhammer
Photo: MEHMET CALISKAN / REUTERS
"If you need a name, call me Devrim" was one of the first messages he or she wrote.
Because the Turkish name Devrim can be used by both men and women.
"As you can imagine, one does not feel safe in a country in which critical voices are openly threatened and prosecuted," says Devrim, explaining the wish to remain anonymous and not even want to reveal one's gender.
The concern seems harmless, almost apolitical.
More than three years ago Devrim created the Twitter account "Cirkin Istanbul" ("Ugly Istanbul").
Since then, examples of building botch and architectural failures in Istanbul have been documented there.
Almost every day there are new photos of the countless construction sites in the metropolis - and of what remains after the workers have packed.
Namely, huge billboards that make historically unique facades disappear, steel and glass constructions as superstructures for centuries-old mosques or simply concrete where there were previously green spaces.
"I'm not an expert, just a normal Istanbuler who loves his city very much," says Devrim.
The changes that have been observed in recent years are "scandalous, outrageous and insanely ugly."
Devrim also blames politics for this.
Major government projects have ruined the city, as has the lack of structural controls and requirements to preserve the historic cityscape.
12,000 year old settlement flooded
With the Twitter account, Devrim hits a nerve.
»Cirkin Istanbul« now has almost 100,000 subscribers.
The success could also be due to the fact that the Turkish government has come under increasing criticism for its handling of the country's architectural heritage.
The Ilisu Dam project, for example, caused resistance for years.
One of the oldest settlements of mankind was to be sacrificed to the building project, which the government sold as a symbol of progress.
Local residents and critics resisted the project for a long time.
Vain.
In the end, the historic site had to give way.
15th century Rizk Mosque: The building was dismantled in Hasankeyf and reassembled in an archeology park
Photo: Sertac Kayar / REUTERS
The AKP banned protests, and in May President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ceremoniously put the hydropower plant's turbines into operation.
Hasankeyf, which has been inhabited for 12,000 years, was flooded.
More than 70,000 people had been resettled in a test-tube town in the months before.
After all: seven historical buildings were saved from the floods.
However, the new archeology park cannot compete with the beauty of the former Hasankeyf.
Ankara has accepted this - probably also because the east of Anatolia is not one of the country's major tourist magnets.
Hagia Sophia and Galata Tower scandals
It is different with Istanbul.
The metropolis is one of the most visited cities in the world.
Last year alone, almost 15 million tourists came.
The most popular attractions in the city include Hagia Sophia and the Galata Tower, the symbol of Istanbul.
Ironically, these two structures have caused scandals in recent months.
In July a court ruled that Hagia Sophia could be converted back into a mosque.
The building has lost its museum status, as has several million euros in entrance fees every year.
Because access to places of worship in Turkey is free.
But not only the financial impact of the decision caused criticism.
The political dimension is more important.
The status of Hagia Sophia has been a political issue for years, and Islamic conservative politicians regularly advertised the conversion into a mosque before important elections.
President Erdoğan actually took the symbolic step - and received criticism from at home and abroad, as well as applause from his supporters.
After the media-effective opening of Hagia Sophia for Friday prayers, the excitement has meanwhile subsided.
The AKP does not have a long-term plan for the building.
Just a few days ago, the mosaics in the interior were covered with cloth.
That seemed like a temporary solution and made the visit less attractive for tourists.
In the meantime, the mosaics and with them the Christian heritage are visible again.
Experts suspect that this is due to criticism from Unesco.
In turn, the government does not want to endanger the cultural heritage status of Istanbul's old town peninsula, to which Hagia Sophia belongs.
The administration of Turkish cultural assets is driven "politically and economically"
"It looks like the government doesn't know what it's actually up to with Hagia Sophia," Alexandra Vukovich from Oxford University told SPIEGEL.
She is an expert in dealing with historical buildings.
According to Vukovich's observations, the Turkish government is currently pursuing two main goals in dealing with the country's historical heritage.
She describes the administration of Turkish cultural assets as "politically and economically expedient".
Particular attention is paid to buildings "with which the government can improve its image or which are particularly attractive to tourists and could bring in more money," says Vukovich.
The latter points in particular are likely to have been the driving force behind the dispute over the Galata Tower.
Actually, the city of Istanbul, ruled by CHP Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, has administrative sovereignty over the building.
In the summer, however, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism usurped the supervision.
A short time later, a video appeared that caused horror.
Tenders from the city are already running
You could see restoration work on the Galata Tower, craftsmen worked on the historic walls with jackhammers.
After persistent criticism, the company was reprimanded by the government for its brutal behavior.
According to opposition media, however, the construction company is said to be owned by an architect close to the AKP.
Critics of Erdoğan's government are now hoping that Mayor Imamoğlu will approach Istanbul's design differently in the future.
This would also keep an election promise.
Several tenders from the city are already running, and Imamoğlu is also publicly opposing controversial large-scale government projects.
This is well received by the population.
And Devrim hasn't completely given up hope either.
The Twitter account "Cirkin Istanbul" has now had a "beautiful brother".
"Güzel Istanbul" publishes news and pictures from the city almost as regularly as the partner account.
To see: exhibitions, restoration projects of the city, new traffic concepts or even future visions of young architects for Istanbul.
Icon: The mirror