On May 23, 2025, a comprehensive technical trip was conducted to the Historic Peninsula within the framework of the ICM454 Urban Analysis of Istanbul and ICM474 Architecture of the Future courses, offered in the Spring Semester of the 2024–2025 academic year by the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design at Istanbul Gelisim University’s Faculty of Fine Arts. The event aimed to enable students to observe and analyze Istanbul’s historical, cultural, and spatial development in situ, with the participation of 60 students from the department.The trip was carried out under the coordination of course instructor Asst. Prof. Dr. Gökçe Uzgören, with the guidance of Asst. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Erol and Research Assistant Merve Karadaban. During the excursion, students visited iconic urban sites such as Sultanahmet Square, Hagia Sophia, Gülhane Park, Topkapı Palace, and the Istanbul Archaeological Museums. They conducted site-specific analyses focusing on concepts such as spatial transformation, historical continuity, public space usage, and urban memory.At each stop, the instructors provided insights into the historical layers, architectural features, and transformations of the respective locations. Students engaged in critical discussions on a variety of topics—from the transformation of Hagia Sophia from a mosque to a museum and back to a mosque, to the evolution of Gülhane Park from a palace garden into a public urban space.
