Space, Representation and Practice in the Formation of Izmir During the Long Nineteenth Century

Abstract

From elite decision-makers to sailors, migrants have long followed trade flows and contributed to the emergence of spatial and cultural patterns in port cities. Connecting the actual places of the port with the representation of these spaces and the practices of cosmopolitan port families, this contribution explores how the interactions of human actors (immigrants like the members of trading families) and non-human actors (such as buildings and industrial spaces, trade, economies) constructed a port city culture that is both generic and particular to each location. This contribution uses the historical depiction and transformation of Izmir, an ancient port city located on the western coastline of Turkey, as a case study to examine the feedback loops that produced and expanded port city spaces and cultures. Exploring the intersecting histories of the French Girauds and the British Whittalls, key merchant families who intermarried over generations, the article traces the spatial networks of their commercial activities, public service, social life, domestic practice, and cultural engagement during the long nineteenth century.